Jacksonville
by LivelyStevens
Summary: Bella and Jake use the tickets that the Cullens gave her for her birthday and enjoy time in the Florida sun during spring break of her senior year.  Mid-New Moon.  Cliff jump happened, changes from there.  On hiatus for Nanowrimo.
1. Chapter 1

**All my CSI:NY people are wondering what in the world is going on. This came to me after reading and watching everything out there that is Twilight. It's also a poke at my friend who is a total TEAM EDWARD person. Sue me, I like Jake. Pure fluffiness to come if this is continued. Help me out and let me know.**

**ENJOY.**

"Aren't you gonna miss this?"

And with those words, a dull ache, frightening grip, a dark cloud moved over Bella. Her mother was able to bring the visit to an end with her question. She'd been with her mom for all of spring break of her senior year and she'd felt the sun's warmth on her skin, the slow pace of her mother's life and _almost_ forgot that vampires and werewolves really existed. She was on the complete opposite side of the country; almost as far away from the cold, damp, sometimes still snowy weather of Forks as she could get. Most of her friends from school were probably donning wetsuits that covered them from head to foot and paddling out to catch the few waves off First Beach. The thought of the water temperature chilled her to the bone and there she sat in shorts and a red sleeveless shirt sweating from the sun's rays. She was going to miss "this" for more reasons than one.

She felt relaxed and dare she describe it as happy? It was coming to the end of her ten day visit, compliments of Carlisle and Esme. The flight later in the evening would take her back to school, back to Charlie, and back to real life. The "real life" where decisions about college and how to spend her summer hours and finals waited. Where werewolves phased on a daily basis to protect the reservations from bad vampires. She laughed at the absurdity of her thoughts and shook them from her head. When she checked her bag in at the gate and the wheels of the place tucked themselves under the plane for the long flight to Jacksonville, she made an unbreakable promise to herself that her strange life and lingering misery, whatever of it was left, would be non-existent in the Florida sun. To her luck it hadn't rained for even a minute since she arrived.

There was hope that things were going to still be as quiet when she got back as they had been before she left. There were no more "incidents" since Laurent in the meadow. Alice kept in constant contact, updating Bella on the cat and mouse games that Victoria played with the Cullen family as they drug her scent everywhere they traveled. Alice even joked about coming to visit to pick up more of her scent in Forks to keep the red-head moving further and further away from the Pacific Northwest until the chance came for them to "deal" with her. Bella thought it was just a reason to visit. Bella had listened to Alice on the phone each time she called about the continents and countries they were in and how each of the family members adjusted to each change, but no word was ever said about _him_.

It really didn't hurt anymore to think or say his name. Sometimes when she thought about him there was even a hint of an eye roll. Poor Jake had been on the receiving end of the emotional deluge that broke from her one day in February that made it easier for her to think about him or at least changed how she thought about it. If it weren't for the added strength and reflexes he acquired with his own very recent change, he could have really been hurt. When Edward left, Bella broke and became a shell, spending most of her time trying to remember everything she could about the time she and Edward had together. But in the garage that one day she broke again.

Jake was working under his car and talking to some of the pack like he always did. Bella was in her spot on the futon that appeared on day, doing her homework. Someone mentioned how they cooked dinner for their girl and that he learned all his skills from the Food Network. A picture of the Cullens's kitchen appeared in her mind from the first time she was introduced properly to the family. The family faces, the food, shattered bowl crashing to the ground; one forgotten image flowed into another; memories long forgotten and not properly dealt with flooded her brain. Details that held little to no importance bombarded her clearly.

First, she was angry and the tools that lay innocently around her from the garage floor started to fly. The others of the pack disappeared quickly and Jake took cover behind whatever he could. She cussed everything about Edward that she could think of. Each time she said his name another tool flew and hit something with an explosion of sounds. The thuds against the walls made her feel a little better. Jake caught a few of the flying objects as she threw them aimlessly in all directions, but chose to wait behind the Rabbit for when the supply of weapons started to dwindle. During the clean up later, he would come to question why he had so many different wrenches, screwdrivers, sockets and pliers laying around for her to find and throw. But her cleansing had begun.

Next she was bawling, sobbing. Whatever tool she clutched was spared its flight and fell to the ground with a different sound. She mourned the loss of time in her life that she spent trying to hold onto _him._ Regretting what she put Charlie through; his worry and sleepless nights. Regretting what she put her mother through when she came to take her back to Florida for a change of scenery. Mourning the loss of her second family who left when he did. Crying at the loss of her friends at school she ignored while clinging to memories. Jake was there to catch her when the exhaustion finally hit and she started to fall to the ground still in uncontrollable grief and cradled her in his lap. With whatever she had left, her fists fought to push him away and pounded at his arms, shoulders and chest. But Jacob's strength allowed him to hold her tight to him until all the fight was out of her and the sobs cooled to sniffing and shutters and then finally to sleep. He rocked the girl in his arms until he was sure she was fully asleep and wouldn't be woken when he moved.

Bella woke the next morning in Jake's bed. It smelled like his soap and skin. Pulling the scent into her lungs, she remembered what had happened the night before. Groaning at her behavior, she stretched and started to plan her day of apologizing and thanking Jake for whatever he did. The melodious rhythm of snoring drew her attention over the edge of the bed and to the floor below. Jacob was curled up on a sleeping bag like a four year old holding his blanket and taking a nap. Fading dark marks in his skin showed where a few of the tools had hit him but they would be gone before they made it to the breakfast table. There was truly nothing more beautiful than this boy in a man's body and it was rare that she got the opportunity just to take a long good look. Wearing only shorts, like always, there was a lot to look at and study.

The short cut hair made it easier to see the strength in the muscles of his neck and shoulders. She followed the natural lines of his body and examined how big his arms had really gotten. The torso he rarely hid under a shirt was a finely chiseled piece of art that she got to look at all the time but without his eyes on her, Bella stared and felt the urge to touch, but held back and continued. She wondered what strength in his upper legs his shorts hid underneath.

"See something you like?"

Her eyes had been looking at the sculpturing of his lower legs when she was caught, but ignored the question. The blush could not be ignored and neither could the shy smile "Hey." The greeting scratched out of her dry throat and met his eyes.

"Sleep good?"

"Yeah. Thanks for staying close." Words were chosen carefully and spoken with deepest appreciation.

His eyes slid back shut at the praise and grinned her grin before wetting his lips to speak again. "You would have slept better with me up there with you." And he snuggled into the pillow under his head missing the eye roll from Bella, but not her verbal come back.

"Next time."

His eyes popped open to see her face and read the expression but only saw the white of his pillow before she wacked him in the head with it from above.

The time they spent together during the rest of February and into March was much better, comfortable and playful, easy and carefree. They spent most of their time away from school together and Jake sometimes found her while he was phased. As Jake, they joked and laughed and talked and became closer. They held hands, sat close while watching movies, hugged and held more often, but it was light and easy. Two best friends who had an understanding and enjoyed what the other was offering.

The few times he'd come upon her in the woods during a run with Embry and Quil he was flirty and mischievous; sometimes he was over the top with his attention begging behavior. He ran circles around her and nuzzled into her hand or arm looking for her touch. The other two would disappear howling about "puppy love" in their minds loud enough for Jake to hear. Bella would lean back against him and draw her fingers through his thick coat and talk about school, memories of them growing up, Phoenix or her mom for hours. Jake almost purred with contentment and found her more often when he phased.

A week before her trip she was digging in the bottom of her closet for a lost shoe and she found a bag stashed in the back corner that held all the gifts from her disastrous birthday at the Cullens. Most of them held no significance except the one from Carlisle and Esme: open ended tickets to Jacksonville to see her mom. The papers held her attention for a long and she pondered their use. It wouldn't be until the next day at school, when someone mentioned their big plans for Spring Break that she decided to use the tickets to go see her mom the next week and show her how much better she was. The thirty minute phone call from her mom to check up on her every other day was seriously cutting into her time.

The conversation with Charlie about her plans didn't go at all like she expected that night at dinner.

"What's this?" Was his question when she slid the paperwork across the dinner table.

"It was a birthday gift from Mr. and Mrs. Cullen…before they left. I want to use it to go see mom for Spring Break."

Charlie first was amazed that Bella didn't flinch when she spoke the family's name and then took a good look at the paper work. "Well, that was generous." He carefully read what information was presented and the kitchen was silent.

Next, two things happened at the same time that had nothing to do with each other. Charlie asked a question and Bella announced the arrival of a familiar car in the driveway.

Charlie: "What are you gonna do with the other ticket?"

Bella: "Jake."

Bella left the table to greet the sun and sunshine in her life. Not to be disappointed, Jacob's arms banded around her immediately for one of his signature hugs that equaled safety and security to her has well as complete ease. It was always this way now with his touch. She craved his warmth and heart. She wouldn't tell him yet, but something new was starting to build inside of her for him.

Not knowing what her father was left to consider when she got up, the two teens reentered the kitchen to make Jake a plate of food.

"So Jacob, you're gonna go with Bella to Florida to see her mother for Spring Break." It was more of a statement than a question and it was met by two blanks stares. Quickly Bella caught on and tried to cover awkwardly.

"Dad, I hadn't mentioned anything to him about that. I needed to make sure you were alright with the idea." She looked between the faces of the two men in her life gauging what was being thought.

"You two spend enough time together here, what difference would it make in Florida? It's fine with me. Clear it with Billy and your mom."

Bella took the empty plate from Jacob's hands and put it back on the table, then led the stunned to silence young man out the back door and out close to the tree and tire swing slightly swaying in the chilly breeze. It was just out of ear shot of the kitchen, but close enough that if they needed to go back and talk to Charlie about something they were right there. Jacob looked more like a guppy with his mouth opening and closing in rapid succession than the tall, tough, commanding human being that he was. He pointed back at the house to where something just happened and he had a lot of questions.

"What just happened in there? Did I hear Florida?"

"Yeah, so what do you think?" The question was shy and hesitant because she was still dealing with the idea herself.

"What do you mean what do I think? What are we talking about? I showed up for dinner and a movie, and now I'm just confused …and still hungry."

"Edward's parents gave me two open ended ticket to Jacksonville for my birthday last year. I'm gonna use one next week and I guess Charlie assumed you'd be using the other. So…?"

"You're asking me to leave all this…" He opened his hands to take in the cold, wet atmosphere of the yard around them. "And spend time with you laying on a beach where it's warm. Why are we even talking about this?" He walked away from Bella causing a furrow to form in her forehead but he pulled his cell from the pocket of his shorts assumedly to call Billy. She only caught snipits of the conversation, but it seemed Charlie was on the other line with Billy discussing the details. Bella watched the menu of emotions play out on his face before _his _smile lit up the whole backyard and he started whooping and hollering. Bella took out her own phone and made the call to her mother and was met by shrieks of excitement from Florida that could have rivaled Jacob's.

Up in her room, he knelt down beside Bella's desk chair with an arm draped around her shoulders as they studied the flight schedules. They looked for the first flight out that they could catch Friday after school and the last flight out of Jacksonville the night before classes resumed. Jake voted for a flight Monday because rez schools didn't start back until Tuesday. His teasing earned him a punch in the arm that would hurt her more than him.

He waited patiently as the confirmation numbers were e-mailed to her account finalizing their plans in five days. Bella found images of the beaches and surrounding areas of some places they could go. She found the photos that her mom sent of the house on the beach where she was living. Web pages popped up showcasing things to do during their visit. The whole idea of getting away on her own had been great, but every fiber of her body hummed with excitement at the thought of getting away and taking Jacob with her.

Without warning she turned sideways in her chair and flung herself into his arms. "This is going to be so great." The words came out muffled against his shirt. "I just need to make it through the next few days and not explode."

Strong arms tightened low around her waist and he breathed in deep. "I know, just the thought of you laying on the beach day after day, rubbing lotion on your back so you don't burn, having your hands all over me doing the same thing. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to focus the rest of the week at school." The statement was thick with sarcasm and some hidden feeling as well. He wondered which she would pick up on.

"You can recuperate next week from all your mental anguish by doing nothing." One of her arms loosened and grabbed the hair at the front of his head like she did that first night he tried to explain what he was. She used her grip as leverage to angle his head. A peck from her lips on his cheek punctuated the end of the teasing. Kissing him on the cheek was happening as frequently as the light kisses he left on her forehead at least two to four times a day when he was close enough. She saw no harm in it and his eyes lit up in the most magical of ways.

A knock sounded on her open door announcing Charlie and they looked over at him still hugging. "Jake? You staying on the couch tonight or heading out? It's starting to get late."

"I'm heading out here in a few minutes. Dad will want to hear about the details." Bella drooped in his arms.

"Well, I'm turning in. 'Night kids." And he shuffled away down the hall.

"You're leaving? Stay, we could still watch the movie you brought, crash on the couch and be halfway with it tomorrow for school."

It didn't take much convincing to get him to stay. It never did; Jacob denied her nothing, especially when he had her in his arms. The phone call to Billy was short. Billy knew it was coming and heard it all before: "Staying to finish the movie, gonna crash on the couch, will check in tomorrow." Charlie heard it too, many times. Billy and Charlie laughed it off the first few time the two crashed at the other's house, saying that the houses were so small that they could hear every breath Bella and Jake made let alone any other noises that the two might create. Empty threats were made that if anything was heard, the "sleepovers" would end. There was no noticeable change towards something more being between Bella and Jacob, but the parents were just waiting. Until then, Charlie was ecstatic to see his little girl happy again and would not rock the boat with her recovery.

Jake took his seat in the corner of the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. Bella folded her legs under her and ducked under his arm. He pulled her in close and held on tight. She always thought they fit together like matching puzzle pieces and got comfortable against his side.

The house was dark except for the flickering TV and it was quiet; the volume barely loud enough for her to hear. "A week with you in the Florida sun." The words escaped hips lips and disappeared in her hair. The shiver she made was felt between the two of them and he pulled her closer thinking it was caused by a chill in the air. She only trusted a head nod as a response. His fingers intertwined with hers and he studied how small hers looked compared to his. Heat rolled off of him and kept her warm, but she still shook with anticipation for something, not knowing what it was. "This could get interesting." He said quietly and seriously.

She met his eyes with hers with a turn of her head and his lips were two inches away. It was a place she was careful to stay away from. When that line was crossed there would be no going back and it wasn't fair to him to do things half way. She was almost ready to open her heart again, and the time was coming closer. When the line was crossed, whatever they were going to have between them was going to be intense.

"Should turn out to be an interesting week." She told him without turning away or moving her gaze from his mouth.

**End? Continue? Review and let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! What a great start. Thank you to those who read. Bigger thanks to those who added this to their favorite and story alert list. And the biggest thank you for those who reviewed. You wanted it to continue so here is the next chapter. Send me more notes about what you think once you have read.**

Bella tried to put off a task that needed to be donw. Her mother already broke the "happy bubble" by asking if she was going to miss Florida and everything it had to offer. The enjoyment she had for the remainder of the day was now shadowed by the looming flight time that equated to a deadline. The sun hadn't quite reached its highest point in the sky yet and she wanted to lay on the deck, listening to the soft waves wash on shore and drown in the heat.

But she needed to pack. All the shorts and t-shirts that had become her uniform for the week needed to be thrown into her suitcase and exchanged for the jeans that laid in the corner of the bedroom, ignored all week long. Thinking about putting on a long sleeved shirt made her arms itch. Wearing layer upon layer of clothing, the thought alone made her sweat more than she already was. Their flight back to Washington wasn't until long after sunset and packing could wait until later in the afternoon. Besides, preparing to go home was going to be nothing like the preparations it took to get there.

_**Wednesday morning**_, Bella woke before the rest of house and started the coffee. It was still a mystery to her how Charlie got going in the morning when she wasn't around because the scent of coffee seemed to be the only alarm he faithfully and routinely answered to. The large teenage boy on the couch needed the coffee and a not so gentle smack to the head, back, or foot just to start the process of waking up.

With coffee brewing and Jacob smacked at least twice, Bella hit the shower. Charlie and Jake were in their usual seats at the table when she emerged from the steamy room ready for the day. Jacob had a rather large bowl of cereal in front of him and Charlie was reading the paper and enjoying that first cup of coffee. Bella watched her father's eyes shift from the paper to the amount of food that Jake was shoveling into his mouth. The appetite of the werewolf was always a curiosity to her father and he never got used to how much he could eat in one sitting. Jacob didn't notice the looks he got from Charlie, his chin in his hand, half asleep still, chewing automatically on the last spoonful of Captain Crunch that made it to his mouth.

The sight before her was comforting and made Forks feel like home. But a few minutes of watching the guys in her life were all she could afford. School would be starting too and Jake had to get back to La Push.

"Good morning." A gentle touch landed on her father's shoulder as she passed behind him. He grunted a sleepy response. "Morning Jake." His shoulder got the same treatment with a squeeze. His hand covered hers for a second. She sat in the only other empty seat, the fourth chair removed for when Billy came for dinner and poured a bowl of cereal for herself. They ate in their own comfortable silence.

"Uh, Bella." Charlie spoke up. "I'm gonna have Jake here, bring Billy over for dinner to work out the details of your trip, so there'll be two more for dinner."

"Yeah, that sounds good." Agreement continued in her nodding head.

"Okay, then, I'll see you after school." Attention shifted from Bella. "See you later, Jacob."

"Chief."

Jake drove Bella to the front door of school to let her out. She was about to close the car door but remembered something she needed to tell him.

"Hey, Jake."

"Yeah, Bells." Sleep hadn't fully left his features or mind and he looked more like a little boy with his soft eyes and messy hair.

"We leave day after tomorrow, you excited?" The she was gone. The words from her mouth and the slamming car door woke him up. Excitement that was non-existent started to churn a hole into the bottom of his stomach. Bella looked back at the car one more time with an evil glint in her eye and gave a flirty wave in his direction. Jake sped out of the parking lot and directed the car towards the rez school.

Dinner with Billy was going great until he learned who the plane tickets came from. The utterance of the Cullen name at the table turned his face sour. Everything thought in his mind played out on his face and was picked up by Jake and Bella, but Charlie was at a total loss. The topic of conversation quickly changed to baseball and the grown-ups were set for the next few hours. Jake and Bella cleaned up from dinner and excused themselves to take a walk. Charlie waved them on to go while stats about a new player on the Mariners spilled from him mouth.

Walking shoulder to shoulder, hands buried deep in pockets for warmth, the teens were silent until the house was no longer visible and the woods were thick. The pine needles and underbrush softened the sound of their feet. Jake looked far off into the distance and Bella watched her steps carefully.

"That was a very evil thing you did this morning, Bella Swan." He was smug and falsely stern.

She understood what he referred to but played dumb. "I always smack you around to get you awake." A shoulder bumped his.

"That's not what I am talking about and you know it, but I love the rough stuff." She almost snorted at his playful comment.

"Oh, my comment when you dropped me off at school. You looked a little out of it, needed a happy thought."

"You're happy thought had my heads in the clouds all day." Hard eye contact was made with her and he held it longer than he would have normally while they walked.

"What are you going to do tomorrow with the internal knowledge that you have only one more sleep until we leave?" She teased and listened to his musical laughter softly.

"Speaking of tomorrow, I won't see you after school. I'll be packing and then going for a run with Quil and Embry, last one for a while."

It was a strange feeling _knowing_ that she wouldn't be seeing Jake at all the next day. Time has passed before when they didn't see each other every day, but that was always a last minute decision. Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays were spent on the reservation. Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays were usually at Bella's. The schedule worked out naturally from when Charlie went fishing on the weekend with Billy and his work hours. Jake sleeping on the couch started one night when Charlie stayed out late on a case. Jake ended up staying two to four nights a week.

"That makes sense." Were her words but the feelings inside were of loss. Jacob and Bella shared an odd co-exsistance.

"So, I'll see you Friday."

"Sounds good to me."

Returning from their walk, they sat on the front steps to wait for the baseball talk to end in the house. "Tell me more about your mom so I know what to expect." Jake sat a step behind her. She leaned back into his body heat; arms snaked around her waist and held her to him. She prattled on and on about her mother's carefree life style and how she met Phil. He listened closely to the story of the wedding and decision to move to Forks. He heard about how frazzled her mom had been when she ended up in the hospital in Arizona after the fight with James. Some details he heard for the first time. Billy and Charlie emerged from the house an hour later still chatting about the upcoming baseball season. Charlie rolled his best friend to his truck and left the two kids to say good night.

"So Friday, I'll be here as quickly as I can be." Jake told Bella holding her to his chest. Warm lips rested on her forehead between words. Forty-eight hours with Jake would be strange. She breathed him in and made a memory of how he smelled like home to her.

"Jake! Let's go." Billy called from the truck in the driveway. Jake's chest rumbled in deep laughter and Bella looked up to question his reaction.

"What's so funny?"

"He could leave, be gone for fifteen minutes and I'd still beat him home if I ran wolf style and _he_ knows that." Bella got the humor and laughed into his shirt and then squeezed him one more time.

"Go on, I'll see you Friday."

_**Thursday**_ at school It was Bella's turn not to focus. In history she made a list of things to do before she left the next day in the margins of her notes. The list went on and on and Bella soon realized that no human could get all the things on her list finished. There wasn't enough time to make casseroles for Charlie, do the laundry that needed to be done, clean the house and pack. Reviewing the list again, it became evident that she was listing things to do to fill up her endless time after school. Some items were marked off that could wait until she got back.

In chemistry, a test from the previous day was handed back. The teacher went over the answers because the information from the test would be on the final. Bella heard none of it and jotted down what she needed to pack on the first page of the exam. There were different sections to her list: clothes, toiletries, carry-on, other. Under each category, specific detailed items were written. Notes were made about what needed to be laundered (shorts and a few favorite shirts) or bought at the pharmacy (new bottle of shampoo and a pack of razors).

In English, last period of the day, she tuned out completely and doodled about Jacksonville and Jacob on a blank sheet of paper from her notebook. Mr. Birdy called on her for the answer to a question she didn't know was asked. Everyone turned, waiting for her response but there was nothing to be said. Thankfully the bell rang ending her embarrassment.

She and Charlie ate dinner at the diner. It was his way of giving her a break from cooking and doing dishes the night before she left, but dinner took three times as long and it cut into her packing time. The Chief paid their bill. Bella's phone rang for the first time all evening. Caller ID announced that Jacob waited for her to answer.

"You change your mind about coming with me tomorrow?"

"Like that would happen." Snorted back. "I needed to know our flight time." And so began the endless barrage of phone calls from Jake. Bella lost count of how many times he called while she packed and prepared meals for Charlie during absence. He always had a question to ask that he should've already had the answer to.

"What time do we land?"

"How long is the flight?"

"Meet at your house or are you picking me up?"

"After school right?"

"What will the weather be like?"

"What should I pack?"

"Will Renee be picking us up at the airport?"

"What time is our flight again?"

She swore she heard clothes being thrown into the washer when he called with one of his questions. Knobs turned, water ran and the lid slammed shut. During another one of the phone calls, Billy could be heard in the background laughing his ass off at his son's behavior. Each call was quick and Jacob's voice had a touch of rushed nervousness in it.

And then the phone calls stopped.

Bella got her packing finished; her bags sat by the front door with the printed travel documents sticking out of a side pocket. Snuggled deep into her covers, sleep was about to wash over her and the phone rang one more time. "Jacob" flashed on the screen.

"What now?" She barked

"Wow, you know how to make a guy feel loved." Bella regretted her greeting. "I'm packed finally and on my way out to meet the guys for our run. I just wanted to say goodnight."

So softly, she laid back into her pillows and threw an arm across her eyes trying to picture Jacob standing in his room talking to her on the phone. He paced back and forth, ready to spring out the back door and join his friends. "'Night Jake, see you tomorrow."

"Night Bells."

Twenty minutes later, as she was drifting away, three wolves could be heard in the woods behind her house.

_**Friday**_ was the most colossal waste of hours at school. The teachers could tell nothing productive was going to occur and showed "educational media" most of the day. The hands on the clock didn't move and sometimes seemed to go in the wrong direction. The mass of wiggly excitement growing in the pit of her stomach burned hotter every time the bell rang allowing her to move through the day. Setting in her desk became harder with each passing minute. She itched to get out of school. It would be one more step towards boarding her plane.

The final bell sounded and Bella almost screamed in sheer delight. She was at her locker before the rest of the student body was out of their seats. The loveable rusty truck left out of the parking lot before any of the buses had a chance to pull away from the school. The speed limit meant nothing to her and all the deputies would recognize the truck and let her pass. She wanted to get home, throw her bags in the truck, call Charlie at the station to say good-bye and the plop herself down on the front porch to wait for Jacob.

But the formidable form of Jake was already there on her porch waiting, tapping his foot, looking like a little kid on Christmas morning aggravated at his parents for not waking sooner.

"You're cutting class Jacob Black, not good." Bella shot at him, taking her sweet time exiting her truck. It was causing her physical pain to do so, but to tease Jake was too easy.

"Today was tortuous and I couldn't stand it anymore. I left before my last class. My Dad was amazed I made it _that_ long."

"Well, you're early. We could watch a movie, go for a walk…"

"You can't be serious." His face was comical to watch. Total disbelief played around with his eyes.

"Nah…let's go."

During takeoff Bella had to put a hand on Jacob's leg to keep him from bouncing a hole through the floor and into the cargo hold. The nervousness from the night before was back in full force and voiced itself through his legs movements. He stared at the tiny hand resting mid thigh. Bella was using all her strength to hold it in place but to him it was just a little pressure and it felt good resting there. It was removed to turn a page in the magazine she was reading and he purposefully began to bounce his leg again. The hand came back and her thumb rubbed circles on the outside of his leg. Slow even breaths went into his lungs and eased back out. Her touch stayed for all of takeoff, the climb to cruising altitude, and the cabin pressure change. Her touch was dizzying and hypnotic. Each page turned, removed her hand from his body and when it returned it slipped higher on his leg. Jacob clutched her fingers tightly in his own to keep his wits about him and not embarrass himself.

Somewhere over Wyoming, Bella leaned over and fell asleep on Jacob's shoulder. Her small body turned into his body and a hand rested over his heart. His much larger one covered her and held it tight. A kiss was placed on her forehead with the touch of a butterfly's wings from his lips and he fell into his own peaceful slumber for a while.

Bella awoke over Tennessee, hot and flushed. Jake was holding her really tight and close around the waist against his side. The hand over his heart wouldn't be going anywhere soon; his larger one had it cemented to his chest. Looking up through lashes, his face looked like that of an angel. Peaceful, young, strong, innocent. Nothing gave way to the fact that he'd already lived through so much. A deep breath filled his lungs and Bella's whole body moved when his chest expanded.

"See something you like?"

"Huh?"

"I'm getting kinda creeped at how much you stare at me when I sleep. You need to try doing it when I'm awake and see what happens." Eyes were still closed but his brow bounced suggestively.

"How did you…"

"Your breathing and heart rate changed when you woke up and your head tilted slightly on my shoulder."

"No fair." She pouted.

"Why? You plan on doing more staring when I'm asleep?"

"Not anymore." A coy smile appeared for his benefit.

Renee looked as tired as Jacob and Bella felt. The number's on the clock in her car cut through the darkness of the night and declared that it was long after midnight. The house came into view finally and the long journey was over.

"There's a cot, a bed, and a couch. I didn't know where to set you guys up so…"

"I'll take the cot." Bella spoke out, knowing that the cot could be moved to wherever Jake ended up at. The look thrown to the back seat dared him to argue with her.

"I guess that means I get the bed. We can trade off every other night so that you get a chance of a good night sleep."

"Sounds good."

Phil set up the cot in the same room as the twin bed at the request of Bella and after clearing it with his wife. Already half asleep, Bella and Jacob did a coordinated ballet of changing clothes in the bathroom, brushing teeth, moving around each other in the narrow space between the two beds and before finally crashing into their beds.

"Tomorrow." Jake started, eyes already closed. "Tomorrow, I'll jump up and down about finally being here. When the sun's up and there's warm sand under my feet."

"And there's no rain."

"And no rain." He agreed.

"Or vampires."

"Or vampires." He smiled.

"Or werewolves."

He huffed a laugh. "Go to sleep Bells."

**What all should Bella and Jake do while in Florida together? Send me a note and give me some ideas. I have a family member living in Jacksonville and have only been there once to visit so I am at a loss for things for them to do off the beach. Send me a note.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. I want to thank all of those who have put this on alert. I see you and appreciate it. Excited about almost 150 hits! Keep reading. Enjoy. I in no way own any of this, just borrowing for mindless pleasure.**

Bella inhaled deeply and warm air made itself at home in her lungs. The air smelled and felt different in Jacksonville than it did in Forks or La Push. The cold air at home burned her nose when Bella inhaled too quickly. It hurt her lungs to hold it in for too long. There was salt in the air at home but there was also salt in the air on the Florida beach. It took the whole week for her to understand that it was a memory she would take home with her. And that trip home would start in a few hours.

Bella pushed sleep away and looked around.

She wasn't in her bed.

She wasn't on Billy's couch.

The sun was up, but her body hadn't rested enough.

Jacob was in a bed across from her, body turned in her direction and snoring like it was going out style. She pushed her body up a bit to watch him but she wouldn't stare. His supernatural senses could pick up on when she was looking and that woke him up. He needed to sleep. He was on vacation after all.

Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, with her hair pulled up off the back of her neck in a messy ponytail, she silently searched the house for signs of life. The only life found inside were the few cacti that were transported from Phoenix. They sat around in small pots around the house. In each room, one sat on a table or window sill. There was a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen and the sliding glass door out to the deck was partially open. Living in Forks taught her that you never leave a door or window open or unlocked unless you want someone or, in certain cases, something coming through it. The sun bleached out her vision until her eyes adjusted. Renee sat on one of the deck chairs reading a book.

"Hey Mom."

"Good morning, kiddo. What are you doing up so early? How did you sleep? Can I get you something to eat?" The questions fired faster than the answers could have been formed and said. "Tell me about your trip. How's school? How's your dad?"

"Okay mom, slow down." Bella perched on the other deck chair and rested her elbows on her knees, head in her hands. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten. I was gonna let you sleep for a little bit longer and then wake you up. I have no food in the house. Either before or after lunch, I am sending you and Jake to the grocery store to get food. I've put off shopping for the whole week until you got here." Bella laughed at the idea of grocery shopping with Jacob and what the total would look like with his big appetite.

"That's cool. The sun woke me up. We're not used to it this bright, this much back home." The idea of Forks being home struck her.

Her mother's initial questions still rolled around in her head. "Um, I slept well. It will take some time getting used to sleeping in a different bed. As for eating, I'll wait for Jake to get up so that I can make something for both of us. The plane trip was long, very long, but I slept for most of it. School is school; nothing has changed since I last talked to you. And Dad is Dad. He loves his work and his weekend fishing." Bella ran through the list of questions again to make sure that everything was covered.

"Same ole Charlie." They mused quietly about the common man in their lives. "Oh, I'm so excited you're here." Renee launched herself into hugging Bella. "I have nothing at all planned; however, I do want to take a day and visit some of the colleges and try to convince you to come back to stay after graduation."

"Mom…"

Don't "mom" me, it's not often I get you here and it's my job to do all I can to keep you. I miss you."

Understanding her mother's position, Bella let it drop and nodded her head while playing with a few strands of her hair that fell over her shoulder. Deck umbrellas overhead kept from beating directly down on them, but it was already warm and folks were out enjoying the beach. Bella watched a family play in the surf. A mom and a dad were swinging a small boy between them. His squeals of laughter reached the deck.

"So…" Her mom started. "In your e-mails, as few of them as there were," Bella blushed. "You raved on and on about Edward. You talked about him on the phone. You sent me pictures. There was never anything negative about him and from what I gathered, his family liked you and you liked them. It was all I heard about. IN the six months that he was around you fell hard and fell fast. I was sure that we'd be heading to your wedding sooner than later."

"Mom, I'm too young to get married." The comment was quickly ignored.

"Then you sent me a three sentence e-mail saying that he was out of your life. Your dad started to call. You started having nightmares that didn't go away. He didn't know what else to do after months of no change for the better. I was about to fly out and bring you back here." Bella stayed quiet, nothing was untrue. "So what happened?"

It seemed so long ago to her now. She pulled in a deep breath and prepared herself for the onslaught of memories. "The day after my birthday Edward showed up at the house and told me that Carlisle was switching hospitals, they were moving and he didn't want anything more to do with me, ever. My best friend, Alice, was his sister; I talked to her about everything. Rose, Em, and Jazz became my brothers and sister. Carlisle and Esme filled in as second parents. I wrapped so much of myself in him and his family that my world crashed when they left." In retelling the events it all seemed a little silly and foolish. "Alice called one day, a month ago, out of the blue and told me how they were, what they were doing and that the family was sorry for what Edward put me through. We've stayed in contact since then, but the damage was done."

"How does "Mr. Mud Pies" in there, who looks like he just stepped out of an underwear ad, play into all this?" Lots of phone called between Renee and Charlie occurred and she'd heard all about their "friendship."

Bella scoffed. "Mr. Mud Pies? Why does everyone remember that?"

"Because we have pictures."

"Um, remember Dad threatening that if I didn't get out of the house I would have to come live with you?"

"Oh yeah."

"Jake was a logical answer." She continued to amend the story as she went. "I needed some mechanical work done, he was the one who rebuilt the engine of my truck, he was a family friend and Charlie was happy I was getting out of the house. I sat in the garage with him while he worked on…some stuff. Sometimes we talked, sometimes not. His friends came around." She smiled at some of the memories. "And gave me a hard time. It didn't fix me but the emptiness seemed to go away a little each day."

"Your dad says you're like magnets."

She laughed at the thought and then sobered at the truthfulness. "We do have a tendency to end up in the same place a lot. It doesn't hurt that his dad is Charlie's best friend."

"And…" Bella's mom sounded like a teenager waiting for the juicy details of a date rather than a mom.

"What? There's no 'and'…at least not yet."

"And yet here he is in Florida with you."

The younger of the two laughed and scratched at her brow. "That in some ways is still a mystery to me too."

"It's payback for all the repairs I had to do to the garage after her emotional hurricane. I'm still missing a few tools. I have no idea where a few of the sockets landed." Jake stumbled out of the house almost tripped over the track for the sliding door. He wore his usual shorts and t-shirt that once had sleeves. He scratched at the back of his head and then rubbed sleep from tires eyes. Bella blushed at the statements passed between her and her mother before he appeared and hoped that he didn't hear any of them, but with wolf hearing she doubted that he missed what was implied. "What is all this brightness everywhere?"

"That's the sun." Bella tried to sound scientific with an edge of 'well duh.' "You'll get used to it. How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good. Then this light came through the window and I thought we were being invaded by UFOs or something. I had to come out and check."

He headed to the steps leading down to the beach. Bella handed up her cup of coffee to him as he passed. He sat on the top most step with his back to the railing. He sipped the coffee, closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Unprotected by the overhead umbrellas, the sun struck him dramatically. Bella's breath caught in the back of her throat. Jake was beautiful in this setting, the most beautiful she'd ever seen him. There was no stress or tension in his body, no pack responsibilities pulling him away and the sun danced on his skin. Instant images of him without the shirt and playing in the water invaded her mind and all the 'and…' implications that her mother hinted at became enticing.

"Bells, does that sound good?" Jake's voice asked. The smile he wore told her silently that she'd been caught staring again.

"Does what sound good?" Looks went back and forth between Jake and her mother.

"You're leaving with Jake in a few minutes to stock up on food. When you get back, we'll have lunch. Jacob's hungry."

"When is Jake not hungry?" Bella uttered under her breath, but Jake laughed.

_Jake_ pushed the buggy and Bella tossed items in as they traversed the aisles of the large grocery store. The cart was almost full and only a third of the store was behind them.

"You were staring again." Jake spoke up after a lot of thought. "Too bad your mom was around but at least I was awake this time." She couldn't tell if he was thinking out loud, talking to himself or meant for her to hear him.

"Of course she was around; we were catching up, until you literally fell out the door." Duh.

"Catching up, that go well?"

"It's amazing how much of the truth I was able to tell her without mentioning," she looked around to see if anyone was too close, "werewolves and vampires. She asked about Edward's departure and I told her the truth. Carlisle switched hospitals, took the family with him and we made a hard, clean break; shattering me at the same time."

"I'm impressed, what did you say about me?" Playful eagerness shined in his eyes.

Bella rolled her eyes at him. "That Charlie forced your friendship on me and most of the time I wanted to throttle you but that I played nice to stay in Forks. You are along for this trip in hopes of me drowning you in the ocean without too many eyes to see."

"Very funny."

_The _sun reached its highest point and moved across the sky. Jake and Bella put the groceries away and made and early afternoon lunch for themselves and Renee, who had the same questioning look on her face as Charlie often wore, when she was how much Jake ate. They sat on the deck and talked easily while food disappeared. The waves in the background made for a hypnotic soundtrack to their meal.

The beach called but Bella wanted to unpack and get fully settled into her home for the next week before giving into complete laziness. Jake did the same under duress and whined about it being his vacation but would do anything Bella said. Together, they rearranged the small room and made a little more space to move around in. One bed ended up under the window and the other against the adjacent wall. The heads of the beds met in an "L" shape in one corner.

"I'm gonna grab a quick shower before starting dinner."

"While you do that, I need to go for a run and burn off some energy." It never occurred to her what he would do with all the pent up energy he would have from not going wolfy all week. "After dinner I'm taking you for a walk down the beach just like we do at home." He bumped her shoulder with his as he left the room and out the back door.

_Bella_ stood at the sink washing the veggies for dinner and watched the beach activity out the window. Couples walked hand-in-hand, kids dug in the sand, people ran by, others sat in the sun and read.

"Are you afraid of the sun?" Renee entered the kitchen from another part of the house.

"No, mom"

"You haven't even stepped in the sand yet."

"Trust me, tomorrow you will have to drag me in from the beach for meals. I wanted to be settled in first."

"Where's Jacob?"

"He went out for a run a little while ago. I assume he went down the beach. He'll be back soon, never misses a meal."

"No kidding, does he always eat like that?"

"He's a…growing…boy…Mom." The words came out distractedly and choppy because they boy in question came running up the beach. The shirt he ran off in was removed and tucked into the waist of his shorts. Absolute focus and drive were evident on his face. Absolutely nothing distracted him including all the stares he got, mostly from the females he passed. He already had the body any girl would desire but it glistened in the sunshine making it look even better. His legs fought against the give of the sand. Muscles stretched tightly. The full out running pace he was keeping up slowed to a walk. He twisted and shook out his arms to cool off and calm down from the exhilaration of exercise. Bella turned off the water and watched his approach to the house. She 'd just about had enough with looking, now touching was becoming a desire and not the daily amount of touching that they already did, but touching with _purpose._ The shirtless part she was used to. The Jacob part she was used to. The running as a human in the sunshine and heat was all new. He all of a sudden looked down right sexy.

"Yeah right." Renee observed. "There's nothing else between you, I don't believe that." Jacob was almost to the door. "Close your mouth daughter, you're starting to drool." She removed a bottle of water from the fridge, having to maneuver around the frozen statue like Bella to do so, and made ready for him. "So Jacob, how was your run?" She asked so sickly sweet.

"Good, thanks." Half the bottle was drained. "Dinner smells great, let me shower and I'll come help."

"Uh-huh, right, just friends." Renee added in Bella's direction once the bathroom door clicked shut. Bella thought she was channeling Charlie with her comment.

"_You_ guys go." Renee shooed them out the door after the table was cleared. "I'll clean up. You cooked." There were only a few fingers of light holding onto to the sky and their hold on the day slipped up minute by minute leaving the beached dark. "I got this, go take your walk." Renee called out one more time. "I'll leave the deck light on."

They fell into the rhythm they had when walking at First Beach, shoulder to shoulder. They walked closer to the water, but just out of reach of the waves. Heat radiated from the sand. It was much different than home. Cliffs didn't define the boundaries of the beach. "End of the first day and I finally got you out onto the beach."

"You knew it would happen eventually. How far did you run today?"

"'Bout five miles up and then back?"

"Run into anything interesting?"

"Yeah, more sand. It's doesn't end." Jake pointed to the endless beach in front of them and showed her how there was no end.

"Not used to that."

"More dunes here and the beach is wider, slopes up from the ocean. Water is a lot warmer here too."

Lights flickered high above the beach ahead of them and caught Bella's eye. Half of Jacob's description wasn't heard. "What's that?" She pointed at what she saw and Jake guided them in the right direction to figure it out.

People further up the beach were flying trick, stunt kites with small lights attached to them. The glowing triangles swooped and dove but then pulled up and soared again. Others were standing and some sitting around watching the aerial dance. Jake found a place to the side and dropped his rear into the sand, patting a place for Bella between his bent legs. Leaning back into his chest, it was decidedly the best way to watch the show. Everyone oohed and aahed. More people stopped to watch. The air cooled and Bella used Jake as her blanket, sinking deeper into him.

Twenty minutes later the kite flyers packed it up and the crowed thinned. Bella made no move to get up. The waves on rolling onto the shore became her new object of study. The ambient light from neighboring buildings and the moon cast ever changing shadows in the water. Jake shifted her to one side of his chest to make it easier to talk over her shoulder.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" She turned sideways to see his face but never left the circle of his arms.

"Beach, food, beach, food, beach, food, walk, bed." She told him ticking each item off on her fingers.

"I like the way you think."

"I think I might be persuaded to get into the water at some point."

"Oh, I'm sure I can get you wet somehow." The whispered, loaded words sent shivers up her body. "You ready to head back?"

"Not just yet." His arms were pulled around her tighter and she snuggled into him.

_Back _at the house, a clock chimed eleven o'clock. They went through their routine getting ready for bed. Bella sat cross legged on her bed reading when Jake came back in, shirtless, again.

"Your hair is getting long again." She slowly met him in the middle of the room and reached over his shoulder to test the length between her fingers in various places. "Thought I liked it long, but short looks good too." Fingertips scratched against his scalp and he inhaled sharply. It took all he had not to emit the low growl that tightened in his chest. He wanted to lean into her touch, but didn't want to press his luck too far. He wanted to do a lot of things. He hoped for good dreams. "I could cut it for you." His eyes fluttered closed. If she was going to keep touching him in _any_ way than she could shave him bald for all he cared.

"Yeah, alright."

"We'll figure out a time tomorrow." She hugged him quickly and retreated back to her bed. "You okay with spending most of the day on the beach."

"You'll be there right next to me, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm definitely okay with it. More than okay."

Their talk slowly tapered off and they fell asleep with ideas about the next day.

**_Hey, talk to me. What did you think? Let me know._**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Finally, this is out there. I have been staring at this chapter for days while editing some here and there. Its one of the longest, if not the longest chapters I have ever written. Read, enjoy, review.**_

Going home, the time change would affect her more than it had coming out. There was a three hour difference. Her body would wake up at four in the morning for school. It was going to totally mess with her head. After a full day of school she would be back in bed by five that even or she would be a grouchy zombie for the rest of the night. Charlie would have to fend for himself for one more night's meal. She'd have no energy to cook after school and there was probably no food in the house anyway; shopping would need to be done. She toyed with the idea of taking Monday off from school and it looked more and more likely. She could readjust to life at home and see how things felt. She laid back and thought about the idea.

The time change didn't affect her internal clock as much the second morning as it did the first. After almost nine hours of sleep, uninterrupted deep sleep, Bella's eyes opened. Hot fresh coffee brewed strong somewhere nearby and the air was filled with it. She lay on her stomach, right hand hanging over the bed near her pillow, almost reaching towards where Jake slept. Her position was curious. Lying on her side was the preferable way to sleep, always; never face down and she normally curled around a pillow or blanket, hands tucked under her chin.

She rolled over and stretched the sleepiness out of her body. Blood rushed into her arms and legs, waking them up for a day of nothing. She strained her heck, checking the status of her roommate. Mmm, sleepy Jake was almost as good as beach Jake in her mind. He was awake or she assumed he was because the other bed was empty. She'd catch him sleeping another morning. He was awake somewhere; it was time to hit the beach.

Bella swept swiftly through the kitchen and out to the deck. Renee was truthful when she said that she spent most of her time in a chair on the deck and that is where Bella found her again, a well read book open in her hand and a mug in the other. The picnic table held orange juice, muffins, toast and jam. The breakfast looked good to her empty stomach but there was no Jake to look at anywhere.

"You seen Jake this morning?" Bella spun around in place to look back in the house and then up and down the beach.

"Good morning to you too. Breakfast?" The other of the two women never looked up from her book.

"Yeah, sure." Going through the motions, she hoped for an answer about the missing werewolf.

"Jake came through here about fifteen minutes ago, loaded up with as much food as his hands could hold and took off running. He did say that he was going to drown himself and put you out of you misery. What was that all about and was he really serious?"

"Inside joke." Bella finished the food in front of her and turned back to the house. "I'm heading out to the beach for the day."

"Kinda figured." Renee murmured under her breath.

Bella dressed quickly in her mostly black tankini top and skirtini bottom. It was modest enough for her not to need a cover-up. A small bag got packed with water, sun block, a couple towels and the book she was reading. In the bottom of her carry-on her unused sunglasses were found. In Forks you don't need sunglasses, that she found any at all in her bedroom was a miracle. Anything else she forgot wasn't an issue, she wouldn't be that far from the house.

A dramatic step from the deck was taken and bare feet touched sand.

Finally vacation. Finally breathing. Finally life stopped and all responsibilities fall away. For once she was a normal teenager who only had a few months left of high school and then a wide open expanse available to her whim. A small way from the house, halfway between the deck and water, she found her spot. The sun beat down on her sitting down on her towel. It melted everything out of her. The breeze cleansed and healed her soul. It was just what she needed; getting away from the drama in Forks.

In the sand, sunglasses in place, she closed her eyes and faced up to the sun. She breathed deeply and held that breath for a long time. It was let out and she smiled – it was time. She embraced the peace and forgot her book or any other sort of distraction. Her lungs expanded more and more with each intake of air until she was pulling in the maximum amount of oxygen each time. The length of time she spent in her special happy place was unknown, but the sun went behind a cloud and the warmth disappeared. Bella started counting the seconds until it came back.

"Well hello Ms. Swan. Enjoying yourself?" The sun disappeared not behind a cloud, but behind a Jake, a very large Jake who was dripping wet from the ocean. Footprints from the water's edge led right to where he was standing. "You look very relaxed sitting here doing nothing. May I join you?"

"No thanks. I'm fine on my own." The perfection she saw was devastating to the system. He was her friend; he was a guy, her best friend, and her best guy friend. All the lines were starting to blur and she wanted them to clear up. The sun reflected off his skin and he was beautiful. She wouldn't say it out loud this time; there was no head trauma to blame her thoughts on. Why hadn't she had her eyes open to see him emerge from the water, that would have been a sight, a James Bond type of moment, and she missed it. "Maybe some other girl down the beach needs some hunk hanging around."

"Sorry to bother you." Jake had taken three steps and Bella hollered out in panic.

"Jake!" It sounded desperate. "Get back here."

"So you do need this hunk hanging around." She could see his ego inflating. "Or you can't handle letting someone else have me."

"You just keep thinking whatever you want. Sit down." A few girls a little ways away cringed seeing their chance at the mysterious man fade away as he crouched down next to a newcomer to the beach.

"How long have you been out here?"

"Maybe fifteen, twenty minutes."

"You're flushed. Is it because I'm here?"

"I'm probably starting to burn?" She peeked at him sideways smiling. There was a macho smirk on his face, but it vanished at her words.

"I'm hurt. I'm wounded." He joked. "You put anything on before you came out here?"

"What? And deny you that small pleasure? Never. But remember, turn about's fair play." She took off her sunglasses and dug into the bag she brought.

Jake warmed somewhere inside at the thought of her version of turn about and if it would be fair. Oh, the places his mind could go with that idea. The places his mind already had been involving her. Some were purely sweet and a step up from what they already did as friends and some he'd caught on the fuzzy cable channels that they didn't subscribe to. A chill of excitement ran up his spine.

"I just need you to get my back where I can't reach."

In his dazed musings he missed out and she already had sun block smoothed into her arms and legs. The bottle was held out to him like the carving knife at Thanksgiving. The unspoken warning of 'don't mess this up' was written all over the object. But his thinking was more along the line of 'skinskinskinskinskin.' His hands shook as he reached out for the bottle. Permission was given, but he was nervous.

Settling behind her on his knees, he watched Bella move her hair over one shoulder and expose more bare skin to him as if his nerves needed that. The material of her suit dipped down to the middle of her back and it was perfect, like an unused canvas brought out just for him. Jake squeezed some lotion into one hand and mapped out a plan of attack. He needed to find the right place to start. The decision was between the slope of her neck, shoulders, or the bare skin in front of him that was just offered like a sacrifice. He wanted it all and it was all right there for his taking.

The lid of the bottle snapped shut and it sounded like a gunshot in their tense filled silence. Bella jumped and looked over her shoulder at him. Both parties broke out into a burst of laughter. The tension of the moment was gone. She waggled her shoulders impatiently. Jake swiped a finger through the glob in the palm of his hand and drew a happy face on her back. Her body flinched away from the cold. Jake's used his warm hands to smooth his doodle away and worked the remaining sun block over her body and kept touching, caressing really; sliding slick fingers on satin soft skin and memorizing every inch. His words from the theater echoed. "I'm not giving up. I'm prepared to be annoyingly persistent." Maybe it was time to be more persistent.

He applied more pressure to her shoulders and began massaging in earnest, the greasy lotion allowing the right amount of friction and give. His ears picked a groan, or was it a moan the he heard? Her head _did_ roll forward and rested chin to chest. He must be doing something right and threw more of himself into it moving up to work the muscles in her neck, listening to the symphony of sounds that she made in reaction to his touch.

In the house Renee spied lovingly on her daughter and the boy whose hands were all over her daughter's body. She dialed the phone number from deep in her memory and listened to the ringing.

"Forks Police Department. How can I help you?"

"Chief Swan, please."

Renee waited again but this time for her ex-husband to answer the phone and she continued to watch the beach. Jake's back was to her and Bella was invisible in front of him due to his broad body. He leaned over her shoulder and appeared to talk to her or doing something else…nope, just talking. Renee sighed in relief.

"Chief Swan, here."

"Charlie…"

"Renee, how's Bella? Wait…she's not hurt is she?"

"No…No accidents yet, but I want to clarify something."

Charlie was puzzled on his end of the phone. "Okay."

"Tell me about Jake and Bella's relationship again."

"They are very close friends. Jake worked miracles somehow and brought Bells back from the pit that she threw herself into when the Cullen's left."

"They're not dating though, right?"

"No, not that I know of, doesn't mean Jake's not trying to get her to go out with him."

"So, one of them, maybe both want it to be more than just friends and they're sharing a bedroom here and you're okay with this?"

"Not in the same bed. She could be forty and I wouldn't be okay with _that_, but the same room is fine. They mostly end up asleep on the couch on the weekends so separate beds is a step in the right direction."

"Just checking. They're always really close to each other and they seem to be getting closer. I checked on them this morning and Jake had one of Bella's hands in his while he was asleep."

Charlie cheered inside. "Keep an eye out. But Billy and I would be thrilled of they came home dating."

"You might get your wish." Renee finished the call and went back to watching.

Bella was so at ease under Jacob's skilled hands that she was oozing into the sand. Jake's massage left her feeling more relaxed than ever. Magic fingers were a new talent that she discovered and she would take advantage of whenever possible. He rubbed her skin long enough for the skin to become red from the heat, friction, sun, whatever, and stopped for a while. He spread out a towel next to her and shook any sand from his legs then mirrored her sitting position.

"Thank you, now I won't burn." But she was sad that his touch was gone.

Jake scavenged around and found the bottle on her towel and held it out to her. "Turn about and all that…" He bounced his brow suggestively.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll get yours, but I decide when." She played right back at him.

She stared back out to the ocean and tried to ignore him but he made a huge show of spreading a large amount of the lotion over his gorgeous body. The female population of the beach was glued to his movements. All eyes were on him, all eyes except hers. He finished all the places he could reach.

"A little help please."

"Uh…what…oh sure, no problem." The act was way over played on her part of being oblivious and made very quick and sloppy of work covering the rest of his back then wiped her hand off on his towel. "You're all set." It was over in a second. The pleasure of her touch didn't last long enough it was over in a flash. She knew exactly how to push his buttons.

"So what's out plan?"

"To do nothing. My plan is to sit here and read, rest, and do nothing. I'm on vacation." Bella put her sunglasses back on her face and fell back onto her towel. "In a little bit if I'm feeling restless or really hot I'll go cool off in the water. When I'm hungry, I'll go get something to eat. When the sun goes down we go for a walk in the opposite direction from last night and then we go to bed and do it all again tomorrow."

Jake thought long and hard about her plan. His eyes squinted into the sun, arms resting on bent knees, one hand holding the wrist of the other. He bit his bottom lip nervously. "There's a flaw in your plan. You should already be in the water."

"Jake?" It was a warning and a question. She knew how he thought. He was up to something and it was probably no good.

"You're really hot, to me at least, so you should be in the water." He had her up over his shoulder easily and walked toward the ocean.

"Jake put me down."

He kept going.

"Not one of your smarter moves, Black."

More steps taken.

"Stop! Stop!"

She slapped him a few times and stopped short when her hands met the material of the only item of clothing that he wore and saw that it was his ass she was slapping. It might send the wrong message.

"You really don't want to do this."

"Oh, I really think that I do. You're hot and you need to cool off."

The water splashed around his feet, then ankles, calves, knees, thighs. It was getting higher and higher. He was going to dump her really soon. There was nothing she could do to avoid going in. He was much stronger than she was.

"Jake…"

He unceremoniously shifted her in his arms, cradled her to his chest, gave a small toss…and went under. Bella came up sputtering to see him retreating slowly back to the shore. She cut through the water to get to the shore before he did.

"Jacob Black you are a poopyhead." She screamed

No response.

"And a butt munch."

Nothing.

"And a meany"

That stopped him. He glared back at her with humor shining through. "You going to tell me Daddy on me? How old are you? You lose years with every word out of your mouth."

"It doesn't matter, you just dropped me in the Atlantic Ocean." She was almost to him; the water was at her waist.

"You knew it was coming. You had to. It was a cheap move that was obvious." She passed him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, chest to chest. She was taking deep gulps of air, trying to calm down. Eyes locked. "I'm not sorry that I dumped you in to ocean. I'm not sorry that you are all wet, you look good this way. I'm not sorry about any of it. If I were you, I'd expect it to happen again before we leave. I _am_ sorry that you didn't have any fun." Flames of something never seen before flashed in his eyes. If somebody didn't move, something serious was going to happen.

So she pushed him. A wave hit them, made him readjust his balance and she countered with a shove that made him fall back, allowing her escape.

"You didn't just…"

"Just like you didn't just take me and try and drown me." She called over her shoulder fighting against the current to reach the shore.

A warm arm caught her around the waist and pulled her back to his body and he spun her around. Exhilarated shrills of happy laughter squealed from her. Waves broke around them. They played and splashed, pushed and pulled trying to get the other off their feet. Their boisterous sport felt like a building crescendo in a symphony. A wave swept them together and Jake held her up. Slowing down the speed of their time together in the water they waded out away from the beach hand in hand and let the surf push them closer together. Bella latched onto Jake's side for balance more often than needed. The music seemed to fade along with their energy and Jake led her back to the beach.

Their time in the water was exhausting. Food was needed. Renee had a huge stack of sandwiches waiting for them on the deck when they returned. Jake wolfed down three times as many as Bella and went back to his towel. Bella and her mother cleaned up the lunch mess with little conversation and the younger of the two went back to the sun, her sun.

They laid on the beach for most of the afternoon without talking. She read a little. He slept. The sun made its lazy trek across the sky and set the pace of the slow passing hours. Bella dozed off and dreamed wonderfully detailed dreams. She woke late in the afternoon to find Jake in the same position he was in when she drifted off. Someone close had a barbeque starting. Lighter fluid and charcoal carried in the air. Bella's stomach began its protest at the lack of nourishment.

"Mmm food." Bella rolled her eyes. "What's for dinner?" She wasn't even sure he was awake until he spoke. He stretched and flexed. It was fascinating to see how his body changed in the sun when he moved. He was laying on his stomach, eyes closed, arms under his head. Bella copied his position and got almost nose to nose with him.

"You went shopping with me." She cooed. "What do you want me to fix?" Fingers played in his hair again. The question wasn't heard over the rush of blood in his ears. "You want tacos?... Chicken?... Burgers?... Steak?" The length was almost long enough in places to wrap around her fingers. A low rattle from his chest and the goofy grin on his face were signs that he was really enjoying what she was doing.

"You gonna cut my hair today?"

"You want me to?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Let's go do that and you can help me figure out something for dinner."

"Lead the way."

Renee was in her place in the phone talking to Phil. Spring training was keeping him busy and Bella could tell she missed him.

"Oh hey guys." The phone moved away from her ear. "I ordered pizza. I called out of habit and once I was on the phone with them I just doubled the order. They're on the way. It'll be about twenty minutes or so." She went into the house to finish her phone call.

"Get the stool from under the sink and bring it out here. I'll be out in a minute." Bella told Jake.

Renee cut Phil's hair; she used to cut Charlie's too. There had to be some clippers in the house somewhere that she could use on Jake. Scissors would be easy enough to find in a kitchen drawer, but it might take some searching to find where the other was buried.

Jake sat on top of the low step stool waiting. The swarm of butterflies in his stomach grew again. They fluttered all day long and were going to kill him with the knot of pent up excitement that he couldn't act on. He could still fell her hands all over his body from playing in the water. She was beautiful and he couldn't keep his hands off of her while they chased and splashed in the water. It was a feeling he wanted more and more.

"All right." She huffed coming back outside and closing the door behind her. "You ready?"

_You don't know how much_, he thought. "Yes."

"Sit still."

Heaven descended again. Bella was cutting his hair but that didn't matter. Her body leaned against his back, fingers went to neck, judging how short to trim. She clipped and cut the back first, tugging playfully and joking around. On one side, she trimmed, working around one ear. She was deep into her job and missing the focus Jake was barely holding on to. Checking the evenness of the cut she got close and her breath tickled his neck. He hummed. It was low, he probably thought it was too low to be picked out, but she heard it. If he weren't a wolf she'd have called it a purr, but the word didn't fit. Keeping a hand buried in his tresses she moved around to the other side. She stood a little closer but worked the same way. Her breath rolled down the side of his neck when she got close again and he purred louder. It hit her in the stomach and she liked it.

Perfecting length on the sides and back, there was one last place to finish. Bella stood between his legs to get to the front and top of his head. His forced his hands to stay on the top of his thighs, but he wanted them on her waist. He wanted to hold her firmly where she was. She was so close that he could smell the salt on her skin. If he leaned forward, his head would come to rest under her chin on her chest. He couldn't muffle the sound and vibration of his contentment this time. In response finger nails scratched across his scalp and messed up the way his hair laid. She fisted the front part to make sure she hadn't cut it too short and forced his eyes to hers. What showed there was a little daunting. All his thoughts, all him emotions, everything that was growing strong radiated from his sweet, dark eyes. She had to look away to keep from getting lost in them. A few more clips here and there and she was done. She hesitantly stepped back behind him and disappeared; switching the tools that were in her hands. He couldn't track what she was doing.

"Don't move." Jake froze at the unexpected closeness and the hushed words that flowed over his shoulder. "Sit very still." The electric whirr of the clippers started and he shivered. She could whisper the periodic table to him all night long and he'd sit as still as she wanted. Actually he'd do anything, anywhere, at any time if she asked in that voice..

Bella used a steady hand to trim a neat line across the back of his neck. She did a once over of his head, evening out the rough spots and making him look better than perfect. Small hairs littered his neck when the motor clicked off. She blew on the back of his neck to get rid of some and then brushed her fingers along his shoulders, back, and upper chest to get more. Both moves made him dizzy. It was his turn to let his head dip down and rest on his chest almost begging for more.

'Turn about' Bella thought and removed more of the now non-existent hair. Fingers, thumbs, and palms brushed over his skin. She shook loose pieces from his head long strokes raking over his scalp. Patterns were drawn on the crown then she went back to his neck and shoulders with more pressure. A gasp from him was released when her abdomen made hard contact with his lower back, then her chest touched him higher up. She abandoned the back of his shoulders and kneaded her fingers into the muscles of his collarbone.

His growls grew stronger and louder encouraging her in desperation. They transferred from his body to hers where they touched. She worked harder, deeper; feeding off what he was giving. She was getting lost, lightheaded being this close this long to him. She reached lower on his chest with each pass. Jake rolled his head back up to lean back on the front of her one shoulders and rested his forehead against her cheek.

Movement in front of her made her focus. His hands were balling into fists releasing, itching to move or touch. His sweaty palms rubbed on the top of his thighs. He was about to snap.

"Pizza's here!" Renee called from inside.

The world faded back.

"Pizza's here." Jake whispered.

"Yeah." Was the response whispered back and both wanted the world to fade away again.

Dinner was eaten, the sun said 'goodnight'. Jacob and Bella walked in the wet sand this time, waves sometimes reaching their feet. It was almost awkward. They were two people taking solitary walks next to each other. There was no conversation. Thoughts swirled about the day that was ending. They didn't touch. They didn't need to. Static electricity sparked between them with each step.

A line was nudged that day. It wasn't crossed, just pushed a little with their antics in the water and on the deck. It was more than they've ever done, but yet it was still nothing. Back home there were always interruptions, mostly from the pack, that stopped anything before they got anywhere or even serious. With the boys around everything was comical and never allowed to slow down long enough to get intense. Where would they be now if there wasn't a pack…probably dating. She chewed her nail and drift off to fantasyland, hiding her blush in the dark.

Jake was in agony. His skin tingled with need and want for the girl next to him. The urge to reach out was strong but hands stayed safely plunged into the depths of his pockets and he replayed the day silently. It would be over soon but there was another one tomorrow. What would they do? Would it be better? Would it be worse? What would it hold? Bella walked along side of him and she held the answers to some of those questions. The only nagging issue was that Bella was too quiet. She was thinking and that could be dangerous.

"What are you thinking?" He bumped her with his elbow.

"A lot of things."

Quickly he pulled her close and snaked an arm around her waist. She stumbled, but he caught her with his other hand and encircled her in his arms while they walked. "Tell me one thing you're thinking about."

Bella grinned and ran through all the topics before choosing one. "Bonfires"

"Yeah, I miss bonfires."

"I miss staying up all night watching one die down to embers." _And sitting next to you listening to you tell me the legends, listening about your day at school and your classes, weaving my finger in and out of yours, stealing your body heat, nuzzling my nose into the side of your neck hoping to warm it up and resisting the need to nip at your skin._ She kept all of that to herself and blushed again.

Jake didn't get it. "What else are you thinking about?"

"Phasing."

"What about it?" He had the tone of 'are you crazy?' He couldn't figure out why she would be thinking about it when he was the one who went through it.

"I wondered, today, if you missed it? Has this been the longest you've gone without since you started?"

Jake couldn't stop the giggles and laughter. "That's a loaded question. If someone walked up to this conversation they might wonder what you were asking."

The statement replayed in her head. She smacked his shirt covered chest. "Who's the one with their mind in other places?" He held her hand to his hard chest while they walked. "What is the longest you've gone without phasing and do you miss it?"

"This is the longest I've gone and I do miss it."

"Why?" Curiosity and wonder filled the beautiful eyes that looked at him.

"I miss running with the pack. I miss the freedom of the woods. It keeps me strong. I'm part of something. I have a bond with the others that can't be broken and I have come to rely on that. They're my second family." A far away gaze, deep reflection, glazed over on his face. He shook it clear and the sparkle reappeared. "Plus, I have a totally different kind of relationship with you when I phase."

"Really?" The crinkle of confusion in her nose made Jake laugh.

He pulled her in as close as he could without hurting her and tightened the hold he had on her. "You open up more when I meet you in the woods as my wolf; you seem more comfortable to talk. I've learned more about you during the hours of endless rambling that I ever have. I'm not able interrupt or talk back and you go on and on." He rubbed the back of her hand over his heart with his thumb. "You touch me more. I think you like the fur, but I could be wrong. Doesn't matter, I really enjoy it. I like the feel of your weight against my side when you lean on me." He stopped talking at that point for fear of revealing too much too quickly. They walked a little further.

"What have you been thinking about over there?" She questioned.

"Tomorrow." He told her.

"What about it?"

"How I want it to be like today, but better."

_**Okay...there it is. I'm not totally happy with it but I will wait to hear from you about what you think. The "today, but better" chapter is formulating. Help me make it better. Review, uplift me to write and make tomorrow better.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Did do something wrong with the last chapter? A bunch of you dropped off the face of the earth when it came to reviews, but congratulations, the hit counter went through the roof. No worries (really). I am such a lurker when it comes to reading and not reviewing, but every once in a while let me know if I am still on track. Anyway here is another way long rambling chapter. enjoy and hit the button at the bottom.**_

Bella didn't sleep well. There were no nightmares, no bad dreams at all. Being tired was not the problem. The day on the beach had been physically and emotionally exhausting. But after putting her head on her pillow and closing her eyes, her mind wouldn't calm down. Jake's words haunted her.

"Just like today, but better."

It could be better. There were numerous activities along the beach that they could do. Parasailing, kiteboarding, surfing, boogie boarding, shell collecting, any number of these things were available to them. They could even stay off the beach and go somewhere else. But the day they shared on the beach was pretty awesome and she wouldn't mind repeating hanging around and playing in the water with Jake again. Making it better with little changes along the way.

That decision had been worked out in her mind: they would go back to the beach when the sun came up. A part of her brain was able to shut down, but there was no hope for the rest of her mind. All the things that Jake said kept the other half of her brain awake and busy. The realizations he voiced for her were eye opening. She hadn't noticed the differences in the way she acted when he was human or when he was a wolf.

They were close. There was no word in existence that described what they were to each other. Friends didn't cover it. Best friends didn't either. He was literally her better half and a magnet that drew him to her. Nothing about him made her uncomfortable. Being close and in frequent contact with his hand, arm, shoulder, or whatever was a grounding action for her. It was that one thing she relied on to get past some of the lingering ache. Jacob's hugs were an essential part of her healing in the last months. His warmth drew her in and became a needed constant.

To hear him come out and say that she touched him more when he phased was a shock, but probably true. Bella loved the feel of his glossy fur when she pulled her fingers through it. It was think and dense. It was soft and silky. The feel of it was different from harsh reality and made her forget about life. There were times he would sigh and the vibration would send a chill into her body and she'd sink further into his side. His head would wrap around and rest on her lap. She rubbed the velvety fur of his ears or on his muzzle; it became a mindless act and habit. It was fun and easy to be with the guy. They laughed. They joked and flirted harmlessly. The kidded around. It was comforting to be with the wolf. They shared more quiet moments, probably because Jake couldn't talk, but he communicated well enough. Bella needed to find a balance between the two worlds.

She lay in bed imagining having her guy relationship with the wolf, but the idea didn't go too far. That bond was formed over the banter and verbal play they had. Having that relationship would be impossible. Thinking about having the reverse relationship would be interesting. He enjoyed her rambling, her mindless caress. She'd try something the next day maybe. It might be that extra push that they needed to cross that line or at least nudge it again. Touching Jake as a guy the way she touched him as a wolf would drive him out of his mind…but it would be from her point of view. Leaning into him without hesitation or holding back could be liberating. Something burned white hot deep inside her. Maybe, just maybe the last hurt still holding her heart back would be severed. Maybe it was time to let go and enjoy Jacob Black in any form.

In the very early morning hours of Monday Bella's eyes closed finally for a few hours of sleep, thinking happy thoughts.

Bella slept soundly. Deep enough not to be woken when Jake changed and went out for his morning run. He traded pleasantries with Renee, took a few muffins that were gone instantly and jogged off. His feet found their rhythm, and moved automatically under him. Air whipped around his bare neck and blew through his shorter hair differently than the day before. The warm ocean breeze encircling him was a reminder of Bella's breath on his neck during his haircut. The entire day's events warmed him thoroughly and brought a smile to his face. There was a calming effect that came with the memories…there was a true happiness that came with the memories. He raced to his turn around spot and pushed his human body to its limits to get back to Renee's house and make that day better than the one before.

Renee was in her place on the deck, having taken the week off from work, when Jake returned in record time from his run. Bella wasn't awake yet. Renee saw Jake approach and checked the time. It wasn't as late in the morning as she expected.

"Bella up yet this morning?" He asked coming up the stairs to the deck.

"Okay." She glared at the innocent boy and put her book down on the wide arm rest. "What's the deal?"

Jake rubbed a nervous hand on the back of his neck. "What do you mean?"

"Yesterday she comes out and the first words out of her mouth are asking about you and your whereabouts. Today, you either cut your run short or hurried though it to get back fast and the first words from you are asking about her. What's going on with you two?"

Jake let out a nervous laugh. This was the 'what are your intentions towards my daughter' talk. "You know about Edward?" Renee nodded. "You know how she was when he left her with little to no good reason?"

"Yeah, Charlie almost had me come and get her and bring her back here to live when she wasn't snapping out of it."

This one small fact was never shared with Jake. "Huh. Well, she showed up one day out of the blue with two junky motorcycles. She wanted me to fix 'em and teach her to ride."

"Motorcycles?"

"Yes ma'am. They've been mostly retired for a while. But I worked on them and we talked. Sometimes we sat in silence. She listened to me or my friends talk about school and what was going on in La Push. We did homework. We watched movies. Charlie was happy that she was out of the house and communicating."

"Motorcycles?" Renee was still stuck on that word.

"Yeah, Charlie won't be thrilled when he hears about 'em, but like I said, we really don't ride that much anymore."

"And then what?"

"One night we went to the movies with a friend of hers from school. Her friend got sick during the show and while he was throwing up in the bathroom I tried to hold her hand. It turned into an awkward moment and she pulled away from me." Jake stopped because Renee's face showed shock.

"You two never stop holding hands or hugging. You even had her hand in yours while you were asleep yesterday morning."

"Really?" He cleared that thought for later. "Anyway, that night while waiting for the 'marshmallow' to get control of his stomach, Bella went on to tell me how broken she was." Jake sat down on the other deck chair and took off his running shoes. "She compared herself to a car that no matter how much you fixed it, it wouldn't ever run right. She was also afraid that I'd disappear if we got too close. Ever since then I've tried to be there for her as whatever she's needed." Jake sounded so sincere.

"And what all has she needed you to be?" Renee was concerned about the answer she would get.

"I will be honest and tell you that I would love to have your daughter as something more than just a friend, but I'm not going to throw away our friendship and push her for something she might not be ready for, for a long time. Dad and Charlie have sent their own ideas regarding out growing friendship clearly and where they'd like to see it go. But if what she needs is a friend then I can be that. If things change and if she wants more, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'm following her lead."

Renee's admiration for the young man in front of her grew with each respectful word that he spoke. With the long pause from Renee, Jake pulled the towel he used the day before from the deck rail and started out to find a spot on the beach.

"Hey Jake." Renee called. "Charlie won't hear anything about the motorcycles from me." He nodded to her. "Thank you for helping my daughter."

"It was nothing but my pleasure." And he scampered off.

Bella stood in the kitchen out of sight and held a hand over her mouth holding in all the emotion that collected in her body while listening to Jake and her mother speak. Jake was talking about Edward's departure when she came into the kitchen and she didn't want to end their conversation by barging out onto the deck. She quietly waited and listened to what they were saying and it shocked her. So many heartfelt things were said from both sides and she wanted to cry. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to peek around the corner and see Jake's face while he talked. She wanted to tell Jake to 'shut up' when the topic of the motorcycles slipped out, but hearing how he wasn't going to risk what they had for anything made her want to crawl up in his lap, hold on tight, and thank him a million times for understanding what she needed better than she did.

She listened closely as the conversation came to a close. She waited a few more minutes, went back to her room, prepared for the beach and went back to the deck.

"Morning sweetie." Renee's nose was back in her book.

"Morning mom."

"Jake's already back from his run. He's out on the beach waiting for you."

"Really?" Bella faked surprise really well.

"He's a great kid. I like him. He's good for you."

"I'm starting to get that." Her eyes found the bare back of Jake sitting on the beach. He was young but much stronger than his years in many ways. He sat, stock still, staring out into nothing. Many eyes were on him waiting to see what he was going to do. Many girls, old and young, sitting on the beach bored holes into his body. All of a sudden he stood up, ran for the water and dove over a wave then disappeared into the blue. Bella held her breath until he appeared again bobbing in the water. He took long swimming strokes and used them to push himself further and further out. Something was driving him to swim away from the beach.

"Motorcycles?" Renee questioned, bringing Bella back to the conversation.

"How'd you get that out of him?" She laced her words with humor.

"We were just talking." Renee turned to the next page in her book not looking up from the printed page. "How many accidents have you been in?"

"Just a few at the beginning, mostly on dirt roads, they weren't that bad."

Renee looked over her book and out to where Jake was still moving away from the shore. "Charlie won't hear anything about it from me."

"Thanks." Jake turned around at a hidden imaginary point and started coming closer. "I'm heading out."

"Have fun honey."

Bella plopped her bag in the sand and straightened out her towel next to Jake's. There was going to be a show in a moment and she didn't want to miss it this time. Sunglasses hid where she was looking, but she stared…and stared hard out into the ocean at the figure swimming back. She leaned back on her hands and crossed her feet at the ankle.

Jake swam until his arms and hands hit the sand. He crawled until he could kneel and be half way out of the surf. Hands wiped the water from his face and then went over his hair sending spray into the air that sparkled like diamonds in the sun. Water dripped from his hair and face down the lines of his neck. Bella followed them closely. The drops joined others on his chest and gravity pulled them down, tracing the contours of his torso. They were absorbed onto the waist band of his shorts and only the imagination filled in the rest of their journey. All the muscles of his core flexed and he rose from a kneeling position to stand. New rivers of water rushed down his legs and got lost in the waves breaking around his feet. Jake spotted her and waved.

Bella's response? With a finger she pulled her sunglasses down her nose to see him with no colored filter and her mouth hung open. A new thought sprang to mind: "I want that."

The world slowed down around her to a comically slow turtle speed and Jake somehow knew about it. He almost strutted up the beach. He shook water out of his hair again and kicked sand up with each step. He wasn't walking, he was gliding. His arms swung in long arches as he walked. He smiled at her and dipped his head in a nod to a few people he passed, but their locked eyes never wavered. He was mouth watering.

"Hey Bells." The body temperature he ran evaporated all the water from his body and he was dry before reaching Bella. The ocean left no mark on him.

"Yeah." The world hadn't gone back to normal for her yet and she was still staring openly.

"Hey, you alright?" It concerned him that she was acting so strangely and gawking at him.

Sounds returned. Gulls squawked overhead, the waves crashed again, kids laughed and cars passed on the other side of the houses. Things went back to normal but she wanted to rewind it and make him do that again.

"Yeah…yeah I'm good."

"You were staring again and zoning out." He joked.

"And why not, you're sorta beautiful." She deadpanned and caught him off guard. "But if you don't get something on your skin you're going to burn and then we'd have to spend the rest of our vacation inside." That option did have its merits. They could watch movies all day long and hang out like they did back home. "But that would be a tragedy. Sit down so I can get some sun block on you."

"Okay." It was a skeptical response, but he was not about to pass this up.

Bella got lotion on her hands and rubbed them together. "How was your run this morning?" If she was the one who did all the talking, then it was his turn to share.

"Short, I hurried to get back and start the day with you." She listened, tried to keep the blush to a minimum and started working on her back. "Did you run your normal five miles?" Thumbs pressed on either of his spine and fanned out to the back of his ribs sliding the sun block onto his skin and easing any tension out. She went back to his spine only a little lower and repeated the motion.

"Yeah, I did all five miles up and then back, but I went faster than normal and got back sooner."

She was down to his lower back and spending more time on a tight knot of muscles at the waist line in the middle. He fell forward and groaned into her touch.

"Too much?" She asked and stopped the pressure, but then didn't know what she was thinking. He was stronger than almost anyone she knew and there was no way she could hurt him.

"No not at all. Feels awesome."

"Good." The pressure returned much to his relief. "After your run, you went out for a swim. You're a strong swimmer Jacob." She had to find the bottle to get more lotion and brushed it over his shoulders and down each of his arms individually, the arms that pulled him through the water effortlessly. "Where'd you learn to swim like that?" Muscles tensed under her hands.

"Uh, it was self taught and modified while growing up. When I was younger, back home, swimming was a way to get away from my sisters and their friends. They wouldn't get in the water because it made them look like drowned rats, or so they thought. But I swam to have my own thing. Cliff jumping created a reason to do it better, get back to the shore faster so I could jump again. My new strength made my strokes better." Jake was having difficulty forming thoughts and putting words together into sentences. Bella's hands on him felt nothing like when he was wolfy, it was exponentially more powerful.

Bella finished both arms and went back up to his shoulder and then started on his collarbone and down the front of his torso. "Do you swim as much back home or are you taking advantage of the warmer water?" She reached way over his body and started spreading sun block down his abdominal muscles. He flinched. "I'm sorry." Though she didn't know why she was apologizing.

"Careful there Bells, I'm ticklish."

"Really?" Her face was next to his instantly, looking over his shoulder to see where she touched him. "Where?"

"That's for me to know and you…" Her face was too close to his when he turned his head. Less than a half inch separated them. "…to find out." Whispered passed his lips.

"Then I have a new challenge for this week." She poked him and he flinched again. "That's one." She whispered and moved away. She was back on her towel and wrote to memory the feel of him under her hands.

"What about you?" He held the familiar bottle in his hand.

"No, I'm good. I put some on before I came out."

The disappointment was pushed way down and the lotion thrown back into their bag. "What's the plan today?"

"Well once you're totally relaxed, I'm going to tickle you again and then run off into the surf you'll follow to take your revenge. After splashing around for a while we'll head back to the house for lunch and I'll try and convince you to lay down on the couch with me and watch Jaws while I fall asleep and take a nap. I didn't sleep well last night. You're going to grill steaks for dinner and after the sun goes down we're not walking, but sitting out on the beach and you're going to tell me a story about the stars, which I know you make up." She sounded like a cruise director going over the day's agenda.

"Sounds perfect." He sighed and looked back at the ocean. It would be just like the day before. The addition of a nap and story on the beach never made him so excited. He couldn't wait for the afternoon; he couldn't wait for the sun to set. He could wait for the next breath and next instant. He couldn't imagine a better…

Bella poked Jacob in the side as she told him she would and took off in the sand toward the water. Jake laughed at her eagerness. He flinched again when she poked him, tensed with surprise, but didn't chase her into the waves like she hoped. He watched her run away, not making any indication that he was ever planning on chasing her at all.

The water was up to her knees and she looked back to see how much time she had before he tackled her or threw her over his shoulder or something but he sat on the beach giving her a "Forrest Gump" wave from his towel. She splashed and waved for him to join her but he just sat there. Crestfallen and disappointed that he didn't follow, she trudged to her towel and pouted.

"What's wrong, baby?" He wanted to laugh at her, she looked so pitiful but he held it in.

"Nothing." She huffed.

"Poor Isabella, sad I didn't take the obvious bait and play her game."

"Shut up." She crossed her arms over her chest. "And don't call me Isabella."

"You just lost another two years." She stuck her tongue out at him _and_ his words. "It was too planned. You were expecting me to be right there to take you down. You expected me to grab you, toss you over my shoulder and drag you to the depths." She huffed again. "But you're not expecting this." He attacked the bottom of the foot that was closest to him. He gripped her by the ankle, held her still and pounced.

"Jake sto…"

She was no match. He had the size and strength. She struggled and laughed, trying to claw his hands off of her, but no ground was gained. Leaning half behind him, she pulled at his upper arms to try and stop him the best she could. Seeing no end, her plan changed, she tickled him on the sides of his rib cage with both hands and his attack faltered. He clamped his upper arms to his sides to try and stop her counter offense but she could still hit him in the right spot. Tears of laughter were streaming down her cheeks, he was relentless, she did her best to keep going, both wiggled and tried to hold onto whatever part of the other they had.

"Where else is _Isabella_ ticklish?" He panted and moved his hands to squeeze her leg right above the knee. Bella howled with laughter and started trying to kick him off.

"Jake…stop…truce, truce."

"You stop, I stop…maybe."

Her hands stilled, his hands stopped. He released the hold he had on her hands and she surprised him by snaking them around his middle instead of moving away. She stayed half way behind him leaning on the back on his shoulder and rested her chin on top. Her breathing was calming down and made no show of moving.

There was no space between them. Their tickle fight lasted mere minutes. Jake's hand stayed on her thigh. The giggling and playing passed. Calm came over the teenagers on the beach. Jake caressed her arm with his free hand; up and down her skin.

A deep breath was taken into Bella's lungs. Her chest expanded against his back. She let it out and molded further to him. They'd have to have another tickle fight soon if this is how it was going to end.

He was afraid to shift in his position, he was afraid to breath, he was afraid to blink; when he openied his eyes she might be gone. There was something different about her from yesterday. She was freer and more at peace with some part of her life. She was more playful and carefree. She didn't question him like she normally would with her facial expressions or eyes. She didn't tense up or pull away; she almost advanced and welcomed him with open arms. It wasn't him holding her for once, it was her holding him.

"I like this." He breathed, saying it more to himself than anyone else.

"Why?"

He couldn't understand how she heard him, but a hundred responses came to mind that masked the heavy feelings behind his declaration and he dismissed them all. "Because you're here with me." He pulled her in closer.

"Jacob, I'm with you all the time."

"I like the quiet moments that you're with me. We don't get many of these at home." Humor started to inch back into his words a little. "The pack seems to always be barging in or vampires start hanging around."

"I was thinking about that yesterday. How different things are here than they are at in Forks and that I wish there were more times…" Bella stopped. There wasn't a good way to finish what she was trying to say. She wanted more times like these. Times when there wouldn't be expectations from others and they could just be. "Life is so different in Forks and when we have down time or a free moment we gather and joke around. The pack moves instinctually as a unit and the bond always brings them together."

Jake knew what she was saying even without saying it. "Then I guess we should stuff as many of these quiet moments in as we can while we're here." The grip on her knee changed to more of a caress than a hold. Again no words were said, but she moved closer and tightened around him more. "So let me say this again: I like this."

"So do I." She kissed his cheek. It was a normal act back home. This time it held more weight. His cheek pressed back into her lips and eyes fluttered shut.

"You know, it's been since Forks that you've done that?"

"Are you counting or something?"

"Maybe." Jaw firmly set, he opened his beautiful dark brown eyes and gazed into the sky, quite sure of himself and a little embarrassed that he admitted it.

"Huh." The sun danced on the water and cast rainbows in the spray. There wasn't a more magical place on earth. "I won't make you wait as long for the next one." Jake shivered in anticipation for the next innocent, chaste kiss as if it were his last dying breath.

Sometime later, Jake's stomach protested. The grumble reverberated into Bella's body. Neither moved from the embrace they shared. Neither spoke with words. Squeezes, sighs, and nudges all passed between them. But leave it to Jake's stomach to break the spell.

"Someone's hungry." She joked and paused. A fit of giggles erupted from her. "Are you hungry like the wolf?" The laughing multiplied a hundred times over.

"Quoting 80s songs badly now are we?"

"Okay, maybe not my best moment, but it just popped in there." Their laughter couldn't be controlled. The comment was silly.

"Lunch, then movie and nap right?" He tried to pull her back from her giggle spasm.

"Right."

He helped her up and kept a hand in his while gathering their stuff. The bag slung over Bella's shoulder and Jake had the towels over one shoulder. "Lead the way."

They moved lunch indoors to the living room. Bella found her mom's old VHS copy of _Jaws_ on the shelf and popped it into the VCR.

"Be kind rewind." Jake repeated from an old movie he saw.

"No kidding."

The large over stuffed "L" shaped sectional sofa dominated the living room. Redressed in t-shirts and shorts, seeing no swimming happening for the rest of the day, Bella sat in the bend of the couch and put one of the throw pillows in her lap.

"Lay down." Jake, already trying to find a way to get comfortable and be close to her, obeyed. He stretched out on his side and found perfection. Bella started the movie and melted into the back of the couch. Jake watched with a hand on Bella's knee, under the pillow. It was shooting warmer than normal tingles into her core and the rubbing his thumb was doing made it better.

Reminded by their talk the day before and the ideas that kept her awake the night before, Bella took a chance and reached out to him. She dug her fingers into his hair like she would when he phased. The texture was a little like the fur. It was shorter than she planned on cutting it, but he still looked good. Who was she kidding, the guy could wear a potato sack and look good. Scratching a bit, she played at the hair line on his neck and up the back of his head. Jake gasped. The breath was held and slowly let back out. She tried the move again and he responded. "You like that." A nod. She did it again. He purred. Marking the action and response for later use, she continued playing with is hair and returned her attention to the movie; Dennis Hopper was measuring the bite radius of the shark. Jake shifted at little to move his legs to a better position and that pesky hand moved up a quarter of an inch on her thigh.

Bella barely traced the outer shell of his ear with her finger while watching his face instead of the movie when it came to a slow point. His eyes were closed and he was barely breathing. His purr was constant when she touched him. Bella focused back on the movie and drew lazy patterns aimlessly on his back or arm.

Charlie was lonely without Bella and, as a result, Jake around. Working long hours and seeing Billy didn't keep out the emptiness he felt when he went home at night. He missed her cooking and the ongoing commentary Jake provided while watching TV. They'd only been gone three nights so far, how was he going to last the whole week? It was mid afternoon where she was and more than anything he wanted to pick up the phone and call to talk to her; ask her how she was, what she was up to, see if they were having a good time. The need was painfully resisted and he fell back on the plan that he would call her midweek.

He shuffled paperwork around his deck. The coffee in his cup was cold. There was nothing going on in the office. The computer in front of him chimed that a new message arrived. The senders address was easy enough to recognize as Renee's. Messages went back and forth about Bella and Jake's trip and they stayed in contact about Bella in general after she moved up. The subject like read: "Photo taken less than five minutes ago." Charlie clicked on the attachment.

A photo of his daughter and his best friend's boy popped up. They weren't smiling for the camera, they weren't on the beach—they were asleep on the couch. Jake slept with his head in her lap. Bella was asleep sitting up and set back into the couch, one hand draped over Jake's chest and the other resting on his head. Jake's hand clutched the one that rested on his chest.

Charlie really looked. His daughter looked healthy and content again. There was some color to her skin. The emotionless pale white disappeared in the Florida sun it seemed and it brought back what she was before Edward left. Jake looked less gloomy, as if a weight had been lifted, like there was nothing hanging over his head.

Below the digital photo Renee wrote a note: "This is what happens when desensitized teenagers watch _Jaws._"

Charlie laughed and printed out a copy of the picture for Billy to take to him later after work. He replied with thanks and added that next time she took photos the kids needed to be looking at the camera. The urge to call was gone and he would be good until the middle of the week.

The movie ended. The VCR rewound it automatically and spit it out before powering down. When the tape ejected it woke Jacob up. Bella was asleep and had both hands on his body, one in his hair, the other on his chest. Moving would wake her up and that wasn't an option. She mentioned not getting enough sleep the night before and he wanted to be sure she was well rested. There was to be no stress, no schedule, and no pressures this week. If she needed to sleep, let her sleep.

Renee peeked into the living room from the kitchen. Jake smiled and raised his brow to her as a quiet 'hello.' She disappeared back around the corner and he heard the sliding glass door open and shut. Bella's breathing was deep and steady. Her heartbeat didn't waiver and kept beat with her breaths. It was never quiet enough to hear it back home. Shut away from the rest of the world, the two sounds hypnotized him back to sleep.

An hour later Bella woke from her afternoon slumber. Jake was asleep in her lap. The clock proclaimed three hours passed. Snow silently fell on the tv because the signal from the VCR wasn't there. The shadows from the front windows were growing longer. The day was starting its final phase.

She needed to get up and start dinner if it was going to be edible at a reasonable time. An internal struggle started. There were two options: 1) Put off dinner and rest with Jake in her lap. They were cozy. Nothing was rushing them along. Then when he woke up, they would consider food; or 2) she could wake him up and get dinner started. It wouldn't take but a stretch of her arms and legs to jostle him. But he looked so cute laying with her. His features were softer, more boyish. The pad of her finger traced his cheek. He swatted at her hand in his sleep and mumbled, but didn't wake. The cuteness factor went up and she had to do it again. She started next to his closed eye and ran her finger down his check again to his jaw and then along his chin. His face scrunched and contorted to make whatever was itching him go away. He was too cute for words. Bella reached out one more time to touch him and Jake's hand flew up to catch her wrist.

"You know touching a person in his sleep without his permission is assult."

"Right. Well I thought I had permission. Guess not. I won't touch you again." He was dumped onto the floor as she rose from the couch and his body went off balance without warning. "Sorry again, my mistake all around." She mocked playfully.

He was behind her before she reached the kitchen and had her by the wrist again. "I take it back, you have my permission."

"So I _can _touch you anytime I want?" Bella threw him a look from under her lashes that made his heart stop and the breath in his lungs freeze. The nod was slow and deep to her. "Thanks." She pulled her hand from his and retraced his cheek and jaw, then continued down the side of his neck to his chest and stopped only when her hand reached the waist of his shorts. "Good to know." Fire flashed from her eyes along with a 'gotcha' smile.

Jake didn't trust himself to follow her into the kitchen without backing her into the refrigerator and capturing her lips. Instead he leaned against the door jam and watched Bella collect food from the fridge for dinner, but only after turning off the radio that Renee left on at a very low volume.

"I have to know, what's with you and music? It's been two very long months of silence."

Her palms went flat on the counter to brace her balance. Normally Jake did not pry; he hadn't since the age question he asked about Edward the day they finished working on the bikes. It was an unspoken rule. He stood in the door way exactly the same way he stood at Sam and Emily's the day she found out what he was. He waited patiently for an answer.

Answers came in so many different varieties. There was a half truth. She could give him a smoke screen that would satisfy his curiosity. She could avoid the question and pretend it was never asked, but it went against her pledge not to do that anymore with Jake. No more hiding, no more holding back, no more denying that Edward existed or that he had a profound effect on her life. No more holding onto phantoms or keeping things from Jacob. It was time for all or nothing.

Bella looked out the door at where her mom sat on the deck. For her mom's sake, the conversation would have to be censored just in case she overheard. "Edward didn't need to sleep…much." Saying his name had no negative effect like it always had. "In all his extra time he became a very accomplished piano player. He played for me a lot and when he wasn't playing there was always a CD playing. Music used to equal memories of Edward. I took music away and some of the reminders of him disappear. Lately its more habit."

Jake approached and held onto her in appreciation for her honesty and as a way to apologize for asking. He banded his arms around her body and wanted to take away the shadow his question cast over her.

"So that's why no music. Here are the steaks, go start the grill." A kiss on the cheek for him and a brilliant smile from her ended the conversation and brought the sunshine back out for him. No lasting harm done. He went out the door, she turned the radio back on and tuned it to an oldies station.

Renee insisted on doing dish duty after dinner and shooed them away. Bella let Jake wander aimlessly for a while before she put a stop to their journey.

"Sit." She told him.

Jake plunked down into the sand. He left himself totally open to accept Bella and however she wanted to sit. She stood looking around. It was a different kind of quiet on this part of the beach. There were fewer houses right on the sand, the street wasn't as close. The only light came from the moon. They were alone for all intent and purposes. There weren't many other people on this part of the beach out walking. Being this isolated was not her goal. There was no fear, no apprehension about the location. Jake was with her, he'd protect her. He'd take care of her.

The last two thoughts played over and over again.

He took care of her; he protected her from vampires, from wolves, and marshmallows. He took care of her and protected her from herself and the self destructive foolishness. He never turned his back (once they got through the whole 'I'm a werewolf' thing) even if she did do stupid things, and there were quite a few. Motorcycles, cliff jumping…

"Are you going to stand there all night or sit down and tell me what's got you so deep and lost in thought?"

Bella sat between his bent legs, but sat sideways to put her back against one of his legs and stretched her own legs out over his other one making it lay flat. It took a minute for her to make the position work for her. She was able to lean sideways into his chest. His arm draped over her shoulders and she wove her fingers with his perfectly. Jake's other hand found its new favorite place on her knee. She could turn her head and look into his face or look the other way and get lost in what she saw of the ocean.

She played with Jake's hand that rested on her knee. She traced the veins and tendons on his arms. Jake watched with fascination. "Why didn't you tell me 'no' when I brought over those motorcycles?" Her words were strangely shy. "You knew Charlie would kill me. You knew Billy wouldn't be thrilled. Why didn't you stop it before it led to head trauma and stitches?"

His face changed three times before speaking. "Dad and Charlie talk..a lot. And Dad talks to me, especially when you're involved, so I knew what state of mind you were in. I knew he left. I had heard how he left you. I didn't know about the threat of sending you here." He searched her face for some sort of explanation. "After months of listening to dad pass along Charlie's worries imagine my surprise when you rambled up with those bikes. It was refreshing to see you, but you looked lost. You showed me what you saved from the junk yard and I couldn't tell you 'no.' I didn't want you to leave." He was holding her closer. "The last time I saw you before then was on your birthday. Five months. I would have learned floral arranging if you asked me."

"I'll have to remember that." She interjected, but he wasn't finished.

"The other part was that you came to _me_. After hearing dad talk about how closed off you were, how you wouldn't see anyone who came to your house, you came to see me." Bella cringed and tensed in Jake's arms. He felt it. "What?"

"We're laying it all out there aren't we?" This time she was scared.

"Yeah, I guess." He was concerned.

"I used you." She gripped both his hands to keep them where they were.

"Okay, what are you talking about?"

"When Edward left he told me not to do anything reckless for Charlie's sake. The first night I left the house in February I went to the movies in Port Angeles with a friend and ran into some rough guys down a side street that we had to pass. They were whistling and calling us over. And I heard Edward telling me to stay away from them. I heard his voice. It scared me to death after five months of nothing to hear his voice out of nowhere. He showed up to warn me of danger. Each step I took closer to the guys, the stronger his voice got. I was doing something stupid and reckless and he was there reminding me of the promise I made to him to stay safe. To at least hear him made me feel better. I passed the motorcycles one day on the side of the road when I got off work early and I thought that if I learned to ride, it would be an opportunity to hear his voice again. But I needed a mechanical type friend's skills to help get them running."

Bella felt when he understood what she was saying and why they did some of the things they did. he started to tense up and shake.

"When was the last time you heard his voice?" Words never sounded colder.

"Before I jumped off the cliff."

His eyes moved around while he thought of all the other crazy things they'd done in the three weeks since the infamous dive, the same day Harry died. Since that day they'd rode around the rez a few times. "You haven't heard him while riding lately?"

"Nope." She popped the 'p' like he was known to do. He eased a bit. "Not while in the presence of the pack, not while hiking in the woods or even climbing up and down stairs. That last one is probably more dangerous than anything else I have done lately."

"What changed?" The words were still cool and somewhat empty.

"I let go of the hold that he had over me. I've…" She stopped to choose her words carefully. She was quiet for so long and when she spoke it was slowly and clearly. "I've let go of being in love with Edward and my heart is almost healed enough to let it open up for someone else. Don't get me wrong, I will always love him like I love Renee or Alice or you. He will always be a part of who I am. But I am not holding anything back or waiting for him to come for me. There's nothing left for him to claim as his." The words were empowering to her internally. Then she looked at Jake and he had hurt and sorrow written all over his face. "Yes, I used you. It started that way and I'm sorry. But it ended long before we went for that first ride." His eyes wandered. "Look at me." The wait felt like years, but they finally focused back on her. "Me using you for the sole purpose of finding that thrill to hear Edward's voice ended before we even went to the movies. Being with you quickly became about me being with you." Bella pleaded with her eyes after each word spoken. He hugged her very close and very tight. He was staring out at the blackness of the night around them, not picking a specific spot to dwell on. He was quiet. He was quieter than she ever seen. Had she said too much this time?

"I kinda figured I was being used." Jake was speaking with no emotion, only words. "I didn't know what for but you were too desperate. You were there to work or do homework every single day. I thought you just needed a new hobby as a distraction. But you were using how I felt about you and that I would do anything for you to be reckless and hear his voice which made you miss him more and need more of that thrill." Jake hit the nail on the head. When it was said that way it pointed out how bad of a person she really was. Bella wanted to be sick. She struggled to get out of his arms. At some point she started to cry. She fought him to get away. "Stop Bella. Bells, stop fighting. I'm okay. Hey stop." Quiet sobs shook her. "Shh." He soothed and rocked her to try and calm her down. "Hey baby, calm down and listen." He waited a heartbeat before talking again. "I would not be sitting here if you were still doing that. You never would have agreed to leave Forks if you were still looking to hear his voice. I know something's changed; I just didn't know what it was." She wiped her eyes.

"What changed was that I let go of him."

Jake readjusted her to a more comfortable position after all her fighting and pulled her close again. "Good."

"I'm sorry Jake." She sounded so small.

"I'm not. It led to me sitting here on a beach, 3000 miles away from home with you wrapped in my arms. Anything that could lead to this is good in my book." He touched his forehead to the side of hers. She pushed back affectionately. "You can use me anytime as long as it stays like this." Bella weakly laughed and the world was right again. It was better than right. Secrets were out. Nothing stood between them anymore. She buried her face in the side of his neck and breathed him in.

The air cooled dramatically. Bella drew her legs closer to her chest and Jake looped an arm around the chilled skin and a new chill affected her. There was acceptance in his embrace. There was safety, devotion, forgiveness, and love in his arms for her. Their position would give any passer by the illusion that they were young people in love, two people so in tune with each other that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. It wasn't a feeling Bella disliked.

Jake could sit with her like this forever. Their friendship came as naturally as breathing. Jake thought about waking up the next day. He wanted to replay the best parts from that day and the day before to make the next one better. The last half hour he would leave out, but he could recall the best parts vividly. Bill Murray's movie popped into his head where he did the same day over and over. He went through the scenes in his head and saw how some of them ended badly because he forced the day to be perfect and it didn't turn out that way. There were many times that he was slapped because he pushed too hard with the woman in the movie. If Bella tried to hit him, she'd probably break a hand or something. Jake tried to hold it in but the though made him laugh and it shook her smaller body.

"What?" She asked.

"I was just thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"How you would probably hurt yourself if you tried to slap or punch me."

"Why would I try to slap you?" She already did it all the time playfully for making points or for him being stupid.

"If I tried to push you too far or too fast."

She missed something. "Huh?"

"I was thinking about tomorrow and my thoughts went off track and ended up on the movie Groundhog Day." He hoped she'd catch on.

"Haven't seen it." She stated.

"Oh, we need to fix that, but its about a guy who repeats the same day over and over and over, making slight changes each day to get different results. Let's just say he pushes a little too hard with the woman in the movie and he gets slapped…a lot"

"And you think that if you started to push me or try something, I might hit you?"

"Maybe."

"Does this mean that you're giving up?" She was scared of what his answer might be and didn't give him a chance to answer. "Anyway, we're not replaying yesterday or today again, at least not tomorrow. I want to go to the zoo tomorrow."

"Am I invited?"

"Of course." Bella was shocked that he had to ask. "Jacob Black, I am officially asking you to accompany me to the zoo tomorrow." It was a little over the top and by the end of the invite she had his face sandwiched between her hands.

"Yes, I'll go with you, and I'm not giving up on you." The seriousness in his voice was eerie.

"It's funny you say that."

"Why?"

"I may start giving in a little."

_**Hit the button here at the bottom and let me know if there is still any interest out there. Am I doing okay? I write faster if I hear from you. reviews are better than cookies. Reviews are better than a lot of things. Well here I go to start the next chapter.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**You guys so rock. I am so in love with you and how much you have been reading this story. Keep reading please. **

Jake's knee bounced. He sat at the table on the deck with his hands behind his head, watched people passing on the beach and his legs bounced uncontrollably. He recently shifted to that position from leaning his elbows on his knees, chin resting on fists. Before that he stood at the railing bouncing the balls of his feet, arms folded over his chest, alternating his balance from one foot to the other, but he sat in a chair bouncing his foot and waiting for Bella to wake up.

The night before Jake and Bella returned from their walk in thoughtful silence. They bid goodnight to Renee who was watching the late news and headed to bed. Bella took her turn in the bathroom first and Jake paced back and forth in the small open space of their room. Bella returned smelling clean and fresh, dressed in a t-shirt (one that looked like it was from his room in Forks) and sleep shorts. Shy eye contact was made between the two and he escaped the room before he attacked her for looking and smelling so good.

Jake took a long shower to try and calm his nerves and figure some things out. How did she get his shirt? How long had she had it? Why did it have to hang off of her just right and be barely long enough to hide the shorts she was wearing? Was this part of her giving in a little? So many options vividly played across the back of his eyes lids. He let the water run over his head and down his shoulders and back; palms pushed flat against the wall to brace him under the spray. The pounding of the water wasn't loud enough to drown out the blood coursing in his ears or silence the thoughts and possibilities. The shower started to run cold and he spent a few more minutes under the cold spray calming himself down. By the time he made it back to the bedroom, Bella was completely asleep.

Jake woke early for his run but didn't go. He didn't want to hold them or their day up by being away from the hose when she emerged. He knew that they were leaving as soon as she was awake and ready for their day. His knee bounced harder shaking the deck and trying to use up some of the pent up energy from not running.

"Whoa." Renee took her first step of the morning out onto the deck and the boards under her feet were quivering. Jake and his knee were hard to miss. "Morning Jake. You have something against the deck this morning? Go run."

"I'm waiting on Bella."

"To run? You've seen her walk, right?"

Jake had indeed seen her walk. Most recently he watched her walk into their temporary bedroom in one of his favorite items of clothing and it never looked so good. He'd seen her walk towards him from the water; walk in the woods, and on the beach. He'd seen her walk and run everywhere.

"We're not running together. We're going to the zoo as soon as she wakes up."

"The shower was running a few minutes ago, I'd say she's awake." Renee made a u-turn and went back in the house.

Great, Jake thought, Bella was awake, they were going away from the beach for the day, they were getting away from Renee's watchful eye and Bella was ready to give in a little. No pressure Jake, he told himself, no reason to be nervous. He wished he'd gone for that morning run after all, he was going to implode while waiting for her.

Bella was filled with an overabundance of giddiness and calm. The day before was cleansing and emotionally liberating. She opened her eyes from slumber and the world felt different, light, positive, new. It was going to be a great day. She wiped the fogged over mirror clean and smiled at the reflection. She saw what Charlie saw in the picture Renee sent. It surprised her that her eyes in the mirror seemed bolder, clearer, not longer heavy with worry. She ran a brush through her towel dried hair and let it dry naturally. An elastic found its way to her wrist for later. Dressed and almost ready, it was time to get the day started and exited the bathroom.

"Morning sweetie." Bella jumped at the sound of her mother's voice coming from the corner of the living room where she sat in front of the computer. Bella was so focused on getting outside, it never occurred to her to look for anyone in the house. She walked over to greet Renee and happened to look at the screen.

"Morning mom, whatcha doing?"

"Jake said you two were heading out today. I thought I might help out a little." The printer came to life and a receipt printed. "Here are your tickets, map to get you there, and the keys are in the bowl on the counter."

"Uh…" She gasped. "You didn't have to do this."

"I know, but I could and I did." Bella hugged her mother kindly. "But do me a favor, take your camera and get pictures for your dad. I sent him one that I took yesterday while you were asleep on the couch with Jake."

"I'm sure he loved that one. Where is Jake? Did he get back yet?"

"He never left. He was up and out on the deck before I was and he seems a little anxious."

"I'm gonna get him and head out. I have my cell if you need me." She looked over at her mom. "Thanks again."

"Have fun today."

Bella observed Jake through the sliding glass door. He was dressed including one of his shirts that once had sleeves. It'd been a rarity to see him fully clothed in the sunshine. It was a damn shame that he had to be covered up. She saw the anxiousness that her mother spoke of. He was set leaning way back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest and his knee bouncing faster that Bella could see. The tendons in his neck were stretched taught. He was wound up tighter than a spring.

Bella watched and stood still. Bella waited. She was feeling evil and mischievous. She waited for the right moment, held her breath and…

BAM!

She slammed her fist against the glass door, a bruise would probably form as the day progressed. The door shook. The thud was deafening. Jake jumped up and took a defensive stance on the deck looking around for the threat. Bella fell out in silent giggles, trying to hide her position but Jacob finally looked back at the house and saw her. His eyes were on full alert and dangerous, but it changed quickly. She was in trouble. Jake ripped the door open, stooped down, banded an arm behind her upper thigh and he hoisted her over his shoulder. In two steps he was at the steps to the beach.

"Oh, you think you're funny." He felt the give of dry sand underfoot and saw the water in front of him. "You have my heart in my throat." The steps he took were powerful. "You caught me off guard." he reached the edge of the damp sand. "And now you are going for a swim."

Bella was laughing up until this point. "Wait!" She was struggling to see around him and head the water. She needed to be put down. "We have plans. Stop, I'm sorry. Get me later. Dump me in later. I was coming to get you so that we could leave." She pled. Jacob hadn't moved on way or the other. It was a good sign that he was at least considering his options. "You can throw me in later." She tried saying again. "Catch me when I'm not paying attention."

"You're ready to leave?" He asked.

"Yes." She moaned. His wished he was doing something else that could make her respond like that.

"I will get you back later."

"Sure, sure." She started looking forward to it.

"You're buying breakfast on the way."

"Deal."

He dropped the barefoot beauty down in front of him. He didn't tell her about the wave that was rolling in behind her. It was only strong enough to splash into the back of her heels, cover her feel and roll up the backs of her claves. The cool water was an unexpected shock and she screamed.

Jacob had to jump back to keep his shoes from getting soaked. Then he had to run away from the very pissed off smiling Bella who as tearing up the beach after him. Near the house he turned around and opened his arms to catch her and twirl her around. She playfully pounded on his chest with her closed fists and then gave up and wrapped him in a hug. It was going to be a good day.

Bella wanted her truck. She wanted the big long bench seat that her truck in Forks had. Her mom's car had a huge center console that cut the front seat in two and there was no way to scoot over and curl into Jacob's side while they drove home after their day at the zoo. And she wanted nothing more than to crawl over the arm rest separating them and sit in his lap, but he was driving and that would probably be a huge distraction and possibly a safety hazard. She held onto his hand and played with is fingers. It would have to do until they got back to her mom's house where they planned on watching a movie. She rested her head on the cool window and a montage scene of her favorite moments from the day played out as the miles scrolled by.

Nile crocodile: it was the first animal they really stopped to look at. Bella rested her arms on the flat topped railing and Jake stood next to her with an arm looped around her back, not letting any space get between them. They looked around the enclosure for any sign of the ancient reptile and saw nothing but a green covered body of water.

"Wow, pond scum." The words were as sarcastic as when she brought him the scrap metal.

"The crocodiles are probably right under the surface. Look for their nostrils, small areas of disturbance in the water or bubbles." She told him.

"What are you, some kind of croc expert? You've been watching Discovery Channel again haven't you? Animal Planet?"

"No, I read the sign." While Jacob read the information, she slipped out of his hold and left laughing to herself.

Warthog: "Oh, look!" She screamed a little to excitedly. "It's Pumba." Bella was again at the rail. Jacob tried to pull her close again but she was singing and dancing a little too animatedly to get a good hold. "Hakuna Matatah, what a wonderful phrase. Hakuna Matatah, ain't no passing phase. It means no worries, for the rest of your da…" She caught Jake's stare and he was looking at her strangely. "What?"

"We're leaving." He put an arm around her back and tried to usher her towards the exit.

"Why?"

"That ugly hairy pig thing made you sing and dance. In my book, that's a definite sign of insanity. I need to find you a doctor and a small padded room."

"That song was from 'The Lion King.' Pumba, a warthog in the movie, sings it. It means no worries."

"I think I missed that movie." He told her suspiciously.

"Good news for you then. I have it at Mom's packed away somewhere. We can watch it tonight."

"Oh goody." Mock enthusiasm dripped from his words. She laughed an open, weightless laugh at him. They made an about face and went about their day.

African Reptile House: The small building was dimly lit and cold inside. Small illuminated windows had various frogs, snakes, turtles, and lizards on display behind the glass. Jacob walked behind her, arms around her waist and they took steps in unison. At each window she played find the animal and he read the animal information from the plaque with his chin resting on her shoulder. His body kept her warm. The visit into the reptile house became more about how it felt to have Jacob closer than ever to her then about the animals. He molded himself against her from shoulders down to her rear. His face was next to hers the whole time and it was hard to miss his fingers and thumbs shifting from time to time at the front of her waist. Whether he was doing it on purpose or not didn't matter, it was stirring her up inside and making her think about him in different and new ways.

Lions/Columbus Monkeys: Bella sang again when she saw the lions. "Oh, I just can't wait to be king." Jake watched and mirrored her carefree attitude and laughed with her instead of at her.

Three small monkeys swung from tree to tree in an area near the lions. "Look." Bella exclaimed, pointing out the entertaining monkeys. "It's Em, Jared and Paul."

"I see the resemblance." He said from behind her, watching them hang and do acrobatics that were both amazing and entertaining.

"Too bad you and Sam couldn't come out and play." She snarked.

"Yeah, too ba…Hey." He pulled back away from her body and then bumped back into her in protest.

"A little slow there honey." A faint blush of embarrassment rosed his cheeks.

Stingray Bay: Jacob reached the edge of the stingray pool before Bella did. He leaned down to prop himself on his arms on the low concrete wall around the edge. Bella made it through the turn style to the area and came to a dead stop and stared at his bent form. It was a nice view from his muscular legs up to his tight butt to his toned back that was hidden under his shirt and broad shoulders.

"YUM" came to mind and she couldn't help but to touch. His shoulder was reached for first with her hand to elt him know she was there and then slipped it down his back and low across his waist. Bella held onto him this time and rested her body on one side of his back, but she was still able to reach the pool.

"Have you felt this?" She asked him running a hand over the 'wings' of a ray that came close. "You know what it feels like?"

"Yeah, a stingray."

"Smart ass." She smacked his hip on the far side. "It feels like wet velvet."

He stretched to reach out and touch an animal gliding by. The brawn under where she touched him flexed and hardened.

"It feels like the fur, hair, whatever on the tips of your ears when," she got so close to him and whispered so that no one else heard "you're a wolf."

He shivered.

Wild Florida: Ice cream was in order. The sun was warming the air and believe it or not, Jake was hungry. They passed an ice cream cart on the side of the walk way and Jacob insisted on getting them both an ice cream cone. Bella walked down the path a little to clear the congestion around the busy cart while Jake paid. He finished his transaction and started in her direction while juggling napkins, his change and a dripping ice cream cone. Bella was watching him and the animals in the natural enclosure next to him. By the time he reached her, her ice cream was dripping down her fingers, she was covering her mouth and her eyes were bigger than he'd ever seen them.

"What?"

But she couldn't speak and only pointed.

He whipped around to look. Behind the barrier was a small pack of red wolves that were native to Florida. They all had their heads down in cautious curiosity and were following Jake as he walked.

Bella started laughing unsure of what else to do. Jake stared down the wolf that was at the front of the pack and soon they were turning away. The last one lost interest and turned to follow the others. Jake finally got to Bella and handed her a wad of napkins to help clean her up.

"That was…" She had to find the right word. "…interesting?"

Wild Florida Reptile House: The inside animal exhibits quickly became Bella's favorite attractions. Jake stayed closer to her, sharing his natural heat in the over air conditioned small spaces and to look in the small windows.

In the Wild Florida Reptile House under the lower light, she felt bolder than usual and traced the length of his fingers with hers. She laced and unlaced their fingers together; she smoothed her palms over the back of his much larger hands and wrists over and over again. She held conversations about what they were seeing, but Jake's comments faltered and stumbled. He purred or hummed loudly when words were not being used.

Lowland Gorillas: "There's Sam." Jake declared. A gorilla sat looking around as if watching over the whole area. He looked stronger and more focused than any of the others in the enclosure. His perch was on a higher ground.

"So I guess that makes the one over there you." Jake had to look. The gorilla she was talking about was stuffing his face and goofing off with a few other animals.

"That's not nice, take it back." He played.

"Make me." She taunted.

A low growl sounded from deeper than deep in his chest. It was primal, it was animalistic, it was raw. His rib cage shook and rattled her body in a very good way. "Is that a challenge?"

Bella could have shied away, embarrassed at the implications like she always did, but she wouldn't do that. "Maybe." She openly flirted and she flitted away from him to the next animal leaving him dumbfounded and shocked.

Ring Tailed Lemurs.: "I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. She likes to move it." Bella sang and grooved.

"Wait, I know this one." Jake revved up. Bella waited for him to share the knowledge that everyone should have known and built up the celebration in his honor. "Its from the Lion King."

Bella was puffed up, eyes wide, and then fell limp. "No, it's from Madagascar." She glowered. "You get and "E" for effort but and "F" for failure." She kissed his cheek as a consolation prize.

Lost Temple, South America: As she remembered the Lost Temple on the drive home., Bella turned her head to look at Jacob driving. She shifted in her seat to get as close to him as she could and rested on the edge of her seat, half asleep.

Pretty much all of their flirty build up came to a head in the South American exhibit. They could have been waiting paint dry or grass grow for as much as they were paying attention to the animals or the people around them. Her hands weren't idle as they stood in front of another window with a random animal in it. She slid her hands up and down the arms that held her. Stretching to reach up passed his shoulder, fingers slipped under cotton to his bare back.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, Jake's reaction was to bury his face in her neck and moan only for her. Bella went on total instinct and moved her hand into his hair and pulled him closer, scratching at his scalp.

"Bells, you are driving me wildly insane." There was warning in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I'll stop." Unexpected movements had her out of his arms in jest and she tried to get away.. He caught her arm, spun her around and kissed her mouth.

He kissed her for all he was worth.

Bella Swan didn't kiss back.

Her body was tense with the energy of playfully getting out of his grasp. Her eyes were wide, arms were stiff at her side. Jake felt that she wasn't kissing him back and it ended.

"Well, that's not what I was expecting." Jake looked confused and disappointed and he backed away from her making no connections to her body.

"Me either." She admitted trying to figure out what just happened. "But I think we should try it again." The words unsure, but she wasn't ready to give up and met his downward questioning eyes.

"Okay." He stated, but his thoughts were racing faster than a horse.

The spontaneity was gone. The rashness dissolved. The desperation eradicated. Nervousness, rational thinking, and emotion filled the canyon sized voids left behind. Forethought and execution plans for the perfect fantasy, fairy tale, picture perfect kiss darted into her mind. Kisses from movies replayed. But nothing would compare to what was about to happen because it was Jacob.

His fingers danced over her cheek bones like snowflakes falling from the sky until he held her face tenderly in his broad hands. The pad of his thumb traced her lips with ghostly passes. She was going to die of sensory overload. Eyes darted on her features, studying and memorizing. Out of the need to anchor herself to something, a hand went flat against the plains of his chest.

Jacob leaned in slowly and touched his forehead to hers and shared some weighty Eskimo kisses. A shuttering deep breath rushed into his lungs and all movement stopped. Hands adjusted, his stance widened.

And then he was there again, taking her in with his lips sweetly.

He stole the breath right out of her and pulled her in closer. Instantly he became the air, the sun, the moon and everything else. In a darkened corridor of the Lost Temple, she became lost. Nothing felt more natural, more comfortable than being kissed by him.

Hands left her face and wrapped around the sides of her ribs, thumbs tantalizing close to the underside of her breasts. She wanted to shift her balance so that he would "accidently" slip upwards. _Others_ had never even remotely been close to doing anything like that. Their lips melted to a perfect fit, soft and yielding, equal balance of give and take. Their lips flowed like molten lava around each others. At some point she realized and he wasn't pulling away. He wasn't hesitant or being too gentle. He drew her in fuller and deeper. She burned red hot under his touch.

Kids squealed excitedly at one of the snakes nearby and real life came back. For the first time in a long time, she pulled away from a kiss before the other person and she hid in the side of Jacob's neck. His heart raced in his chest and his breathing was erratic.

"That should have been our first kiss." He whispered into her hair.

"Yeah."

That image faded from Bella's memory. In the front seat of the car, sitting by his side, she sighed and couldn't wait for more.

Before ending their day, they rode the carousel a few times; stealing chaste kisses freely and then rode the train around to the front plaza. They chose to eat at one of the restaurants before heading out to the car wrapped up in each other's arms.

The car turned onto Renee's street and Bella was glad to be back. The day was exhausting and she was ready for a lazy night on the couch with Jacob watching their movie.

"Hey you guys have fun?" Renee called from the deck when she heard the front door open. A worn out, ragged looking pair of teenagers filed out to see her. One collapsed on to lounge, the other lowered himself to the steps.

"Yep." He said, answering Renee's question.

"Yeah." She said.

Renee was puzzled by their lack of energy, especially Jake's. They had not been this tired even after two full days at the beach. "Tired?"

"Absolutely." He said.

"Definitely." She said.

"You already eat?"

"At the zoo." She said. His head went up and down.

"Good, I'm meeting some of the other players' wives for dinner in a bit. What plans do you have for tonight?"

"We're going to take a quick walk up the beach and get dessert and then Bella says that she has a movie here somewhere for us to watch. She sang the songs from it all day. I made the mistake of telling her that I had never seen it." Jake spoke up. He wanted to get away from the house and talk about what evolved that day.

"Did you take any pictures to e-mail to Charlie?"

The younger woman cringed. "No, I forgot."

"Take some now." Jacob suggested. "We'll e-mail them tonight." Bella handed her birthday camera over to her mother.

"Stand against the rail and I'll get the beach in the background." They stood hip to his, shoulder to shoulder, straight and tall. "Did you two have a fight or something? You're acting like strangers, get closer." Renee coaxed and she snapped photo after photo until she was satisfied with what was captured.

"Mom, where is the box of movies that I packed up in Phoenix?"

"It should be out in the garage. You marked it all so clearly when you packed, it should be easy to find."

"Jake, you think you could look for it while I send some of these to Dad?"

"Sure, sure."

Twenty minutes later, Jake lugged a medium box into the living room and set it down on the table.

"You need to see these. Dad will probably print them out for Billy."

He knelt down next to her chair on one knee and draped an arm around her.

The first photo was of them side by side. It was the first picture her mother snapped of them. I'm sending that because it's too funny." She clicked to the next one. She and Jacob were laughing and looking at each other in the picture. They were getting more comfortable with each other in front of the camera. A lot more was going on in the photo and only she and Jake knew it. The third picture flashed up onto the screen and it showed Bella comfortably leaned back into his chest. His arms were lazily around her waist, her hands covered his. The ocean's waves, beach, reeds, and sky were behind them like a studio backdrop. It was a perfect picture of them.

"I want a copy of that one." He told her, laying his cheek on her shoulder.

"It's already been sent to your e-mail.

Renee came through the room, obviously ready to go. "I'll be back later, there's food in the fridge if Jake gets hungry. You have my cell number…"

"For when things go wrong after I run with scissors, go outside with wet hair, and invite all the local construction workers in for milk and cookies. I'm not ten anymore mom." Bella continued.

"Ignore my mature daughter, she always warned she'd do those things after I left to go out just to get a rise out of me. You're not ten? And yet you're about to watch Lion King, right?" Bella stuck her tongue out at her mother to be silly. "I will see you later." Renee left and Bella hit the send button on her father's e-mail message.

"Let's go out to the beach for a bit." Jake pushed.

Walk didn't describe what they did though. He led her about twenty feet off the deck then fell into the sand and pulled her to sit in front of him.

"You said something about dessert, I thought you wanted to walk."

"I thought you were going to give in a little." She stiffened in his arms. "Instead you gave in a lot and drown me in hope. I told you about how if I was smart, I would have drug out the rebuild. It was in hope of somehow reaching this at some point. But before I let go of what's left of my restraint, I need to know what you're thinking.

"That was restrained? Huh?" A little panic surged through her.

"What do you mean?"

"That Jacob Black 'restrained' was something more exciting than I've had probably ever." Nervous, stifled laughter sounded. "I think Jacob Black 'unrestrained'…" She couldn't finish the exciting thoughts out loud and chewed her nail.

"Hold on, what are you talking about. I just kissed you."

She scoffed. "Yeah, you sure did."

"He did kiss you, right?" He sounded incredulous.

"Mm-hmm."

"I'm confused then, explain."

"I was fragile to him. With every kiss, he pulled away first, afraid of letting it get too out of control and me getting hurt." She didn't know how much he wanted to know. "The second time you kissed me today was the longest one I've had since moving to Washington." That should answer enough of his questions about the relationship she had with Edward. "I kept waiting for you to pull away from me, but you didn't."

"I wouldn't have for a long time." He snickered. "I forgot where we were."

"A couple kids screamed, broke the for and they got excited about the big snake."

Jake was staring out into the darkening sky, the sun was almost gone, and he was in his own little world. "I know, I did too." He couldn't believe he'd said the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Bella turned around and stared, slack jawed at his blushed face, neck, ears and horribly embarrassed eyes. "I did not mean it that way."

"Yes, you did." She called him on his comment. He hid in her shoulder.

"I probably did." He mumbled into her shirt.

"There's no probably to it." Bella ruffled his hair and settled into his body. They sat like that for a minute letting the craziness pass.

"So now what? Wondering thoughts were voiced from him.

"We take this day by day." Her head came up to look at him directly. "Right now you kiss me, we go in and fall asleep on the couch because there is no way I'm making it through the whole movie."

"And tomorrow?" he pondered more.

"We spend the day on the beach and go from there."

"Like a date?"

"Maybe something like a date." She confirmed. "And we keep this between us for a while or Renee's gonna make one of us sleep on the couch for the rest of the visit. And that couch may look comfortable, but night after night, it's not."

He kissed her again. He held her a little gruffer this time, never being able to have enough. He was making up for months of holding back. Showing her that she was not going to be handled with kid gloves, even thought he was strong enough to consume her. Through touch and taste he got across the point that this was how it was always supposed to be.

Bella whimpered in desperation for it never to end. Jake showed no signs of letting up. He had her turned sideways in front of him and was trying to pull her closer every instant. Bella felt fire run the length of her lower lip when Jake's tongue dared to dart out and taste her. Tentatively, shyly she tempted fate and met him in the middle and a new turn was taken. Bella could fully taste him and it was better than cookies at Christmas. It was better than the richest chocolate. It was better than anything she could remember her grandmother baking.

It was Bella's turn to pull him close and hope time stood still, clawing and scratching at the back of his head and arms to keep his mouth on hers. How could she have been so blind, foolish, in such denial that this was not what she wanted, needed. It was a need that pushed her further into the haze that was Jake.

Bella and Jake finally pulled apart. He peppered her cheeks with kisses until he met the salty streaks from her eyes. "Hey, hey what's this?" The falling tears wiped away.

"Nothing."

"You crying isn't nothing. Really what's going on? Did I do something wrong?"

"No! No, you didn't do anything wrong. You've done everything more than right. Just an overwhelming rush of emotion with a side order of exhaustion and happiness."

"Movie time?"

"Please." She sighed.

"Snuggle time."

"Yes."

Renee came home to a dark house except for the glow of the TV. Jake was on his back asleep on the couch and Bella laid on his chest, wedged between Jake and the back of the couch. A hand rested over his heart and an arm held her in place.

Renee took a picture of them on her phone and sent it to Charlie with a message: "Is this normal? Now what?" She didn't have to wait long for something to come back.

"Fell asleep watching a movie? Throw a blanket over them and turn off the TV." Charlie sent.

Renee did just that and missed Bella turning her head up to kiss Jake under the jaw and nuzzle into him. Before the hour was over the blanket was thrown off of them and onto the floor. Jake was enough warmth for the both of them.

**Okay, finally its up. Not perfect, but getting closer for them. Back to the beach with the next chapter and how does their new relationship play into it? Plus Charlie might call and see how the trip is going.**


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